BILL REQ. #:  S-4895.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/03/06.   

     AN ACT Relating to juvenile interrogation; adding a new section to chapter 13.40 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 13.40 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The legislature finds that parents have a fundamental interest in knowing if their child has been taken into police custody for questioning and where their child is being held.
     (2) When a law enforcement officer takes a juvenile into custody, a reasonable attempt must be made to notify a parent, guardian, or custodian that the juvenile is in custody and where the juvenile is being held.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) A joint task force on the interrogation of juveniles in custody is established. The joint task force shall consist of the following members:
     (a) One member from each of the two largest caucuses of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate;
     (b) One member from each of the two largest caucuses of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
     (c) The attorney general or the attorney general's designee;
     (d) A member designated by the Washington prosecutors association;
     (e) A member of the Washington state patrol, designated by the chief of the state patrol;
     (f) A chief of police and a sheriff designated by the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs;
     (g) A member designated by the Washington association of criminal defense lawyers;
     (h) The secretary of the department of social and health services or the secretary's designee;
     (i) The superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee;
     (j) The executive director of the office of public defense or the executive director's designee;
     (k) A representative of the superior court judges association;
     (l) A member of the Washington defender association;
     (m) A member who is a law enforcement detective experienced in juvenile crime, as designated by the Washington council of police and sheriffs; and
     (n) The following members, jointly appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate:
     (i) A member of an organization that provides assistance to persons who are victims of juvenile crime;
     (ii) A representative of an organization that primarily provides services to children involved with the juvenile justice system;
     (iii) An academic with a doctorate degree in child development; and
     (iv) A parent of a juvenile.
     (2) Two of the legislative members shall serve as cochairs of the task force.
     (3) The task force shall review the statewide practices, protocols, and policies on the interrogation of juveniles in the custody of law enforcement as well as the laws of other states regarding custodial interrogation of juveniles.
     (4) The task force shall use legislative facilities and staff from senate committee services and the house of representatives office of program research.
     (5) Members of the task force shall serve without compensation. Legislative members may be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 44.04.120. Nonlegislative members may be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
     (6) The chairs of the task force shall report to the appropriate committees of the legislature on the work of the task force not later than January 1, 2007.