| Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research |
BILL ANALYSIS |
| Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Committee | |
SSB 6544
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.
Brief Description: Increasing the sentencing range for first degree criminal mistreatment.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Judiciary (originally sponsored by Senators Stevens, Honeyford, Pflug, Delvin, Holmquist, McCaslin, Swecker and Roach).
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill |
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Hearing Date: 2/25/08
Staff: Yvonne Walker (786-7841).
Background:
A parent of a child, a person entrusted with the physical custody of a child or dependent person,
a person who has assumed the responsibility to provide to a dependent person the basic
necessities of life, or a person employed to provide to the child or dependent person the basic
necessities of life, is guilty of Criminal Mistreatment in the first degree if he or she recklessly
causes great bodily harm to a child or dependent person by withholding any of the basic
necessities of life. Criminal mistreatment in the first degree is a seriousness level IX, class B
felony offense. A first-time offender with no prior criminal history would receive a presumptive
sentence range of 31 to 41 months in prison.
A child is defined as a person under the age of 18 years old. A dependent person is defined as a
person who, because of physical or mental disability, or because of extreme advanced age, is
dependent upon another person to provide the basic necessities of life. A resident of a nursing
home or adult family home or a frail elder or vulnerable adult is presumed to be a dependent
person.
Great bodily harm means bodily injury which creates a high probability of death, or which
causes serious permanent disfigurement, or which causes a permanent or protracted loss or
impairment of the function of any bodily part or organ.
Summary of Bill:
The crime of Criminal Mistreatment in the first degree is increased to a seriousness level X, class
B felony offense. A first-time offender with no prior criminal history would receive a
presumptive sentence range of 51 to 68 months in prison.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.