BILL REQ. #: H-4583.1

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HOUSE BILL 3238
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State of Washington

59th Legislature

2006 Regular Session

By Representatives Simpson, Lantz, Wallace, Morrell, Kilmer, Green, Springer, Dunshee, P. Sullivan, Quall, B. Sullivan, Grant, Appleton, Williams, Darneille, O'Brien, Haler, Clibborn, Hunt, Lovick, Hasegawa, McDermott, Rodne, Moeller, Kessler, Strow, Fromhold, Sells and Ericks

Read first time 01/27/2006. Referred to Committee on Criminal Justice & Corrections.

AN ACT Relating to prohibiting the distribution of false sex offender notifications; adding a new section to chapter 9A.84 RCW; creating a new section; and prescribing penalties.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that attempts to unduly alarm the public using fake sex offender notifications is reprehensible and disgusting. Our world is a scary enough place without opportunistic individuals or groups using phony boogeymen to scare children and other vulnerable persons. It is the intent of the legislature to protect our communities from the very real threats posed by violent sex predators and from those that would seek to exploit those threats by terrorizing the population with bogus notifications.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 9A.84 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) A person is guilty of distributing a false sex offender community notification bulletin if, with the intent to alarm, harass, or intimidate any other person, he or she distributes information designed to resemble a sex offender community notification bulletin knowing that it is not a sex offender community notification bulletin.
     (2) Distributing a false sex offender community notification bulletin is a class C felony.
     (3) For purposes of this section, "sex offender community notification bulletin" means a bulletin created by law enforcement for the purpose of notifying the public about a registered sex offender under RCW 4.24.550.

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