SB 6484 - DIGEST

Declares an intent to provide an annual combined level of state and federal funding for multijurisdictional drug task forces and local government drug prosecution assistance at a minimum of four million dollars.

Provides that three pilot enforcement areas shall be established for a period of four fiscal years, beginning July 1, 2006, and ending June 30, 2010, with one in the southwestern region of the state, comprising of Pacific, Wahkiakum, Lewis, Grays Harbor, and Cowlitz counties; one in the southeastern region of the state, comprising of Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield, and Asotin counties; and one in the northeastern part of the state, comprising of Stevens, Ferry, Pend Oreille, and Lincoln counties. The counties comprising a specific pilot area will coordinate with each other to establish and implement a regional strategy to enforce illegal drug laws.

Declares an intent to provide funding of no less than one million five hundred seventy-five thousand dollars annually.

Requires the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs, the Washington association of prosecuting attorneys, and the Washington association of county officials to jointly develop measures to determine the efficacy of the programs in the pilot area. These measures will include comparison of arrest rates before the implementation of this act and after, reduction of recidivism, and any other factors that are determined to be relevant to evaluation of the programs. The organizations named in this section will present their findings to the legislature by December 1, 2008.