BILL REQ. #:  S-4300.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/07/14.   

     AN ACT Relating to the termination of basic food benefits to incarcerated persons; amending RCW 70.48.100; adding a new section to chapter 74.08 RCW; and providing an effective date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 74.08 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) When a basic food recipient in a one-person household becomes an incarcerated person, the department shall take appropriate actions to terminate the incarcerated person's benefits. Appropriate action includes, but is not limited to, deactivating the electronic benefit card provided under the Washington basic food program.
     (2) When an incarcerated person is included in the assistance unit of a multiple person household, the department shall adjust the basic food benefits of the assistance unit to exclude the incarcerated person.
     (3) When the incarcerated person is released from custody it is his or her responsibility to contact the department to apply for basic food benefits lost under subsection (1) or (2) of this section.
     (4) The department shall enter into an agreement with the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs and the department of corrections to allow the department to data-match the basic food recipient database with the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs' jail booking and reporting system and database of incarcerated persons with the department of corrections. Data matches must be conducted at least every five days.
     (5) For the purposes of this section:
     (a) "Basic food benefits" means federal food stamp program benefits provided through the Washington basic food program.
     (b) "Department" means the department of social and health services.
     (c) "Incarcerated person" means (i) any person committed to the custody of: (A) A department of corrections facility; (B) a county jail; or (C) a municipal jail; and (ii) the period of incarceration lasts for thirty consecutive days or more.

Sec. 2   RCW 70.48.100 and 1990 c 3 s 130 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) A department of corrections or chief law enforcement officer responsible for the operation of a jail shall maintain a jail register, open to the public, into which shall be entered in a timely basis:
     (a) The name of each person confined in the jail with the hour, date and cause of the confinement; and
     (b) The hour, date and manner of each person's discharge.
     (2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section the records of a person confined in jail shall be held in confidence and shall be made available only to criminal justice agencies as defined in RCW 43.43.705; or
     (a) For use in inspections made pursuant to RCW 70.48.070;
     (b) In jail certification proceedings;
     (c) For use in court proceedings upon the written order of the court in which the proceedings are conducted; ((or))
     (d) To the department of social and health services; or
     (e) Upon the written permission of the person.
     (3)(a) Law enforcement may use booking photographs of a person arrested or confined in a local or state penal institution to assist them in conducting investigations of crimes.
     (b) Photographs and information concerning a person convicted of a sex offense as defined in RCW 9.94A.030 may be disseminated as provided in RCW 4.24.550, 9A.44.130, 9A.44.140, 10.01.200, 43.43.540, 43.43.745, 46.20.187, 70.48.470, 72.09.330, and section 401, chapter 3, Laws of 1990.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   This act takes effect January 1, 2015.