BILL REQ. #:  S-4293.2 

Read first time 01/28/10.   Referred to Committee on Human Services & Corrections.

     TO THE HONORABLE BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CHAIRPERSON OF THE INTERSTATE COMMISSION FOR ADULT OFFENDER SUPERVISION:
     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
     WHEREAS, The state of Washington is an active and participating member of the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision and has supported the terms of the Interstate Compact since 1937; and
     WHEREAS, The state of Washington suffered a grievous loss when four police officers were killed by an offender under the supervision of the state who had been transferred to Washington state under the terms of the Interstate Compact; and
     WHEREAS, The public safety of the citizens of the state of Washington are of the utmost concern and importance to this body; and
     WHEREAS, The state of Washington has grave concerns about continuing to operate under the terms of the Interstate Compact without the tools to adequately protect its citizens; and
     WHEREAS, The existing rules and processes in the Interstate Compact do not provide the receiving state with sufficient information and authority to adequately supervise and address the violative behavior of an offender transferred to the receiving state under the terms of the compact;
     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision immediately initiate its emergency rule-making process to consider and adopt rule amendments that will provide the receiving state with all information known to the sending state about the criminal history and behavior of an offender whose transfer is sought, and to vest the receiving state with the authority to determine when the receiving state can no longer safely supervise an offender and the offender must be returned to the sending state or, in the alternative, that these issues be addressed through federal legislation.
     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Barack Obama, President of the United States, the Executive Director and Chairperson of the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.