BILL REQ. #:  S-3381.1 

Read first time 01/14/14.   Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.

     AN ACT Relating to organized retail theft; amending RCW 9A.56.350; and prescribing penalties.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 9A.56.350 and 2009 c 431 s 15 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) A person is guilty of organized retail theft if he or she:
     (a) Commits theft of property with a value of at least seven hundred fifty dollars from a mercantile establishment with an accomplice;
     (b) Possesses stolen property, as defined in RCW 9A.56.140, with a value of at least seven hundred fifty dollars from a mercantile establishment with an accomplice; ((or))
     (c) Commits theft of property with a cumulative value of at least seven hundred fifty dollars from one or more mercantile establishments within a period of up to one hundred eighty days; or
     (d) Commits theft of property with a cumulative value of at least seven hundred fifty dollars from a mercantile establishment with no less than six accomplices and makes or receives at least one electronic communication seeking participation in the theft in the course of planning or commission of the theft. For the purposes of this subsection, "electronic communication" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 9.61.260(5).
     (2) A person is guilty of organized retail theft in the first degree if the property stolen or possessed has a value of five thousand dollars or more. Organized retail theft in the first degree is a class B felony.
     (3) A person is guilty of organized retail theft in the second degree if the property stolen or possessed has a value of at least seven hundred fifty dollars, but less than five thousand dollars. Organized retail theft in the second degree is a class C felony.
     (4) A first offense of organized retail theft under subsection (1)(d) of this section is a gross misdemeanor. A second or subsequent offense of organized retail theft under subsection (1)(d) of this section is a class C felony punishable under RCW 9A.20.021.
     (5) For purposes of this section, a series of thefts committed by the same person from one or more mercantile establishments over a period of one hundred eighty days may be aggregated in one count and the sum of the value of all the property shall be the value considered in determining the degree of the organized retail theft involved. Thefts committed by the same person in different counties that have been aggregated in one county may be prosecuted in any county in which any one of the thefts occurred. For purposes of subsection (1)(d) of this section, thefts committed by the principal and accomplices may be aggregated into one count and the value of all the property shall be the value considered in determining the degree of organized retail theft involved.
     (((5))) (6) The mercantile establishment or establishments whose property is alleged to have been stolen may request that the charge be aggregated with other thefts of property about which the mercantile establishment or establishments is aware. In the event a request to aggregate the prosecution is declined, the mercantile establishment or establishments shall be promptly advised by the prosecuting jurisdiction making the decision to decline aggregating the prosecution of the decision and the reasons for such decision.