HOUSE BILL REPORT
SHB 1319
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in
their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a
statement of legislative intent.
As Passed House:
February 21, 2007
Title: An act relating to the protection of employees, contract staff, and volunteers of a correctional agency from stalking.
Brief Description: Protecting employees, contract staff, and volunteers of a correctional agency from stalking.
Sponsors: By House Committee on Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness (originally sponsored by Representatives O'Brien, Pearson, Dickerson, Blake, Kenney and Ormsby; by request of Department of Corrections).
Brief History:
Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness: 2/1/07, 2/8/07 [DPS].
Floor Activity:
Passed House: 2/21/07, 96-0.
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill |
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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY & EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 7 members: Representatives O'Brien, Chair; Hurst, Vice Chair; Pearson, Ranking Minority Member; Ross, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Ahern, Goodman and Lovick.
Staff: Yvonne Walker (786-7841).
Background:
Stalking: A person is guilty of stalking if he or she, without lawful authority and under
circumstances not amounting to a felony attempt of another crime:
Stalking is generally a gross misdemeanor. However, the crime is a seriousness level V, class C felony if:
Summary of Substitute Bill:
The group of people covered under the stalking statute, punishable at the felony level (a
seriousness level V, class C felony offense), is expanded to include a stalker's victim who is
or was an employee, contract staff person, or volunteer of a correctional agency.
"Correctional agency" is defined to include all state and locally operated agencies having
direct authority to release an offender including but not limited to the Department of
Corrections, the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board, and the Department of Social and
Health Services.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:
(In support) Approximately two or three years ago, there was a employee who worked at a
correctional facility who was being stalked by a juvenile offender who she used to supervise.
This bill will now cover such correctional employees. The actions of corrections officers and
other personnel within the various facilities should have the same protections as law
enforcement officers.
There are a variety of people who work within the facilities, such as intake specialists, who
have contact with offenders on a regular basis. Since community corrections officers are
already covered under current statute, there is strong support that the statute be expanded to
include other employees and contract staff working within a correctional facility.
It is also suggested that the personnel of the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board (ISRB)
should also be included in the bill. The ISRB (also known as the Parole Board) is responsible
for the worst of the worst of incarcerated offenders.
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) also has employees who take inmates out of
juvenile and adult facilities to work on various work crews. Recently, one of their employees
was assaulted. As a result, the employees of the DNR who work with inmates should be
included in this bill.
There is a question as to whether you give up all privacy for you and your family if you
become a public employee. Currently, there is the ability for inmates to go online to get
information about state employees. Workers face huge liability issues. This is an issue that
the Legislature should address in the future.
(Comments) The Seattle Post Intelligence and KIRO television asked for a list of public
employees and birth dates of the Seattle public employees. They do not have access to Social
Security numbers. However, dates of birth are open because it allows news organizations to
do background checks. There was a series of articles that were done on coaches that preyed
upon young women and articles that were done about the King County Sheriff's office. These
articles could not have been done if they didn't have access to names and dates of birth.
There are many constitutional issues around who can and cannot have access to public
records.
(Opposed) None.
Persons Testifying: (In support) Representative O'Brien, prime sponsor; Steve Eckstrom,
Department of Corrections; Jeri Costa, Indeterminate Sentence Review Board; Bob Berg,
Washington State Patrol; Mike Ryherd, Teamsters 117 and City of Kirkland; Amber Lewis,
Washington Federation of State Employees; Howard Thronson, Department of Natural
Resources; and Kathy Goebel, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
(Comments) Rowland Thompson, Allied Newspaper.