AN ACT Relating to protecting victims of sex crimes; amending RCW 36.27.020; reenacting and amending RCW 42.56.240 and 43.79A.040; adding new sections to chapter 43.43 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 35.21 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 36.28 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 70.41 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.31 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

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

PART I - TRACKING AND TESTING OF SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS

The legislature finds that, when forensic analysis is completed, the biological evidence contained inside sexual assault kits can be an incredibly powerful tool for law enforcement to solve and prevent crime. Forensic analysis of all sexual assault kits sends a message to survivors that they matter. It sends a message to perpetrators that they will be held accountable for their crimes. The legislature is committed to bringing healing and justice to survivors of sexual assault.

The legislature recognizes the laudable and successful efforts of law enforcement in the utilization of forensic analysis of sexual assault kits in the investigation and prosecution of crimes in Washington state. In 2015, the legislature enhanced utilization of this tool by requiring the preservation and forensic analysis of sexual assault kits. The legislature intends to continue building on its efforts through the establishment of the statewide sexual assault kit tracking system. The system will be designed to track all sexual assault kits in Washington state, regardless of when they were collected, in order to further empower survivors with information, assist law enforcement with investigations and crime prevention, and create transparency and foster public trust.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 43.43 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The Washington state patrol shall create and operate a statewide sexual assault kit tracking system. The Washington state patrol may contract with state or nonstate entities including, but not limited to, private software and technology providers, for the creation, operation, and maintenance of the system.

(2) The statewide sexual assault kit tracking system must:

(a) Track the location and status of sexual assault kits throughout the criminal justice process, including the initial collection in examinations performed at medical facilities, receipt and storage at law enforcement agencies, receipt and analysis at forensic laboratories, and storage and any destruction after completion of analysis;

(b) Allow medical facilities performing sexual assault forensic examinations, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, the Washington state patrol bureau of forensic laboratory services, and other entities in the custody of sexual assault kits to update and track the status and location of sexual assault kits;

(c) Allow victims of sexual assault to anonymously track or receive updates regarding the status of their sexual assault kits; and

(d) Use electronic technology or technologies allowing continuous access.

(3) The Washington state patrol may use a phased implementation process in order to launch the system and facilitate entry and use of the system for required participants. The Washington state patrol may phase initial participation according to region, volume, or other appropriate classifications. All entities in the custody of sexual assault kits shall fully participate in the system no later than June 1, 2018. The Washington state patrol shall submit a report on the current status and plan for launching the system, including the plan for phased implementation, to the joint legislative task force on sexual assault forensic examination best practices, the appropriate committees of the legislature, and the governor no later than January 1, 2017.

(4) The Washington state patrol shall submit a semiannual report on the statewide sexual assault kit tracking system to the joint legislative task force on sexual assault forensic examination best practices, the appropriate committees of the legislature, and the governor. The Washington state patrol may publish the current report on its web site. The first report is due July 31, 2018, and subsequent reports are due January 31st and July 31st of each year. The report must include the following:

(a) The total number of sexual assault kits in the system statewide and by jurisdiction;

(b) The total and semiannual number of sexual assault kits where forensic analysis has been completed statewide and by jurisdiction;

(c) The number of sexual assault kits added to the system in the reporting period statewide and by jurisdiction;

(d) The total and semiannual number of sexual assault kits where forensic analysis has been requested but not completed statewide and by jurisdiction;

(e) The average and median length of time for sexual assault kits to be submitted for forensic analysis after being added to the system, including separate sets of data for all sexual assault kits in the system statewide and by jurisdiction and for sexual assault kits added to the system in the reporting period statewide and by jurisdiction;

(f) The average and median length of time for forensic analysis to be completed on sexual assault kits after being submitted for analysis, including separate sets of data for all sexual assault kits in the system statewide and by jurisdiction and for sexual assault kits added to the system in the reporting period statewide and by jurisdiction;

(g) The total and semiannual number of sexual assault kits destroyed or removed from the system statewide and by jurisdiction;

(h) The total number of sexual assault kits, statewide and by jurisdiction, where forensic analysis has not been completed and six months or more have passed since those sexual assault kits were added to the system; and

(i) The total number of sexual assault kits, statewide and by jurisdiction, where forensic analysis has not been completed and one year or more has passed since those sexual assault kits were added to the system.

(5) For the purpose of reports under subsection (4) of this section, a sexual assault kit must be assigned to the jurisdiction associated with the law enforcement agency anticipated to receive the sexual assault kit or otherwise in the custody of the sexual assault kit.

(6) Any public agency or entity, including its officials and employees, and any hospital and its employees providing services to victims of sexual assault may not be held civilly liable for damages arising from any release of information or the failure to release information related to the statewide sexual assault kit tracking system, so long as the release was without gross negligence.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 35.21 RCW to read as follows:

Local law enforcement agencies shall participate in the statewide sexual assault kit tracking system established in section 2 of this act for the purpose of tracking the status of all sexual assault kits in the custody of local law enforcement agencies and other entities contracting with local law enforcement agencies. Local law enforcement agencies shall begin full participation in the system according to the implementation schedule established by the Washington state patrol.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 36.28 RCW to read as follows:

A sheriff and his or her deputies shall participate in the statewide sexual assault kit tracking system established in section 2 of this act for the purpose of tracking the status of all sexual assault kits in the custody of the department and other entities contracting with the department. A sheriff shall begin full participation in the system according to the implementation schedule established by the Washington state patrol.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5.  A new section is added to chapter 43.43 RCW to read as follows:

The Washington state patrol bureau of forensic laboratory services shall participate in the statewide sexual assault kit tracking system established in section 2 of this act for the purpose of tracking the status of all sexual assault kits in the custody of the Washington state patrol and other entities contracting with the Washington state patrol. The Washington state patrol bureau of forensic laboratory services shall begin full participation in the system according to the implementation schedule established by the Washington state patrol.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6.  A new section is added to chapter 70.41 RCW to read as follows:

Hospitals licensed under this chapter shall participate in the statewide sexual assault kit tracking system established in section 2 of this act for the purpose of tracking the status of all sexual assault kits collected by or in the custody of hospitals and other entities contracting with hospitals. Hospitals shall begin full participation in the system according to the implementation schedule established by the Washington state patrol.

Sec. 7.  RCW 36.27.020 and 2012 1st sp.s. c 5 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

The prosecuting attorney shall:

(1) Be legal adviser of the legislative authority, giving it his or her written opinion when required by the legislative authority or the chairperson thereof touching any subject which the legislative authority may be called or required to act upon relating to the management of county affairs;

(2) Be legal adviser to all county and precinct officers and school directors in all matters relating to their official business, and when required draw up all instruments of an official nature for the use of said officers;

(3) Appear for and represent the state, county, and all school districts subject to the supervisory control and direction of the attorney general in all criminal and civil proceedings in which the state or the county or any school district in the county may be a party;

(4) Prosecute all criminal and civil actions in which the state or the county may be a party, defend all suits brought against the state or the county, and prosecute actions upon forfeited recognizances and bonds and actions for the recovery of debts, fines, penalties, and forfeitures accruing to the state or the county;

(5) Attend and appear before and give advice to the grand jury when cases are presented to it for consideration and draw all indictments when required by the grand jury;

(6) Institute and prosecute proceedings before magistrates for the arrest of persons charged with or reasonably suspected of felonies when the prosecuting attorney has information that any such offense has been committed and the prosecuting attorney shall for that purpose attend when required by them if the prosecuting attorney is not then in attendance upon the superior court;

(7) Carefully tax all cost bills in criminal cases and take care that no useless witness fees are taxed as part of the costs and that the officers authorized to execute process tax no other or greater fees than the fees allowed by law;

(8) Receive all cost bills in criminal cases before district judges at the trial of which the prosecuting attorney was not present, before they are lodged with the legislative authority for payment, whereupon the prosecuting attorney may retax the same and the prosecuting attorney must do so if the legislative authority deems any bill exorbitant or improperly taxed;

(9) Present all violations of the election laws which may come to the prosecuting attorney's knowledge to the special consideration of the proper jury;

(10) Examine once in each year the official bonds of all county and precinct officers and report to the legislative authority any defect in the bonds of any such officer;

(11) Seek to reform and improve the administration of criminal justice and stimulate efforts to remedy inadequacies or injustice in substantive or procedural law;

(12) Participate in the statewide sexual assault kit tracking system established in section 2 of this act for the purpose of tracking the status of all sexual assault kits connected to criminal investigations and prosecutions within the county. Prosecuting attorneys shall begin full participation in the system according to the implementation schedule established by the Washington state patrol.

Sec. 8.  RCW 42.56.240 and 2015 c 224 s 3 and 2015 c 91 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

The following investigative, law enforcement, and crime victim information is exempt from public inspection and copying under this chapter:

(1) Specific intelligence information and specific investigative records compiled by investigative, law enforcement, and penology agencies, and state agencies vested with the responsibility to discipline members of any profession, the nondisclosure of which is essential to effective law enforcement or for the protection of any person's right to privacy;

(2) Information revealing the identity of persons who are witnesses to or victims of crime or who file complaints with investigative, law enforcement, or penology agencies, other than the commission, if disclosure would endanger any person's life, physical safety, or property. If at the time a complaint is filed the complainant, victim, or witness indicates a desire for disclosure or nondisclosure, such desire shall govern. However, all complaints filed with the commission about any elected official or candidate for public office must be made in writing and signed by the complainant under oath;

(3) Any records of investigative reports prepared by any state, county, municipal, or other law enforcement agency pertaining to sex offenses contained in chapter 9A.44 RCW or sexually violent offenses as defined in RCW 71.09.020, which have been transferred to the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs for permanent electronic retention and retrieval pursuant to RCW 40.14.070(2)(b);

(4) License applications under RCW 9.41.070; copies of license applications or information on the applications may be released to law enforcement or corrections agencies;

(5) Information revealing the identity of child victims of sexual assault who are under age eighteen. Identifying information means the child victim's name, address, location, photograph, and in cases in which the child victim is a relative or stepchild of the alleged perpetrator, identification of the relationship between the child and the alleged perpetrator;

(6) Information contained in a local or regionally maintained gang database as well as the statewide gang database referenced in RCW 43.43.762;

(7) Data from the electronic sales tracking system established in RCW 69.43.165;

(8) Information submitted to the statewide unified sex offender notification and registration program under RCW 36.28A.040(6) by a person for the purpose of receiving notification regarding a registered sex offender, including the person's name, residential address, and email address;

(9) Personally identifying information collected by law enforcement agencies pursuant to local security alarm system programs and vacation crime watch programs. Nothing in this subsection shall be interpreted so as to prohibit the legal owner of a residence or business from accessing information regarding his or her residence or business;

(10) The felony firearm offense conviction database of felony firearm offenders established in RCW 43.43.822;

(11) The identity of a state employee or officer who has in good faith filed a complaint with an ethics board, as provided in RCW 42.52.410, or who has in good faith reported improper governmental action, as defined in RCW 42.40.020, to the auditor or other public official, as defined in RCW 42.40.020;

(12) The following security threat group information collected and maintained by the department of corrections pursuant to RCW 72.09.745: (a) Information that could lead to the identification of a person's security threat group status, affiliation, or activities; (b) information that reveals specific security threats associated with the operation and activities of security threat groups; and (c) information that identifies the number of security threat group members, affiliates, or associates; ((and))

(13) The global positioning system data that would indicate the location of the residence of an employee or worker of a criminal justice agency as defined in RCW 10.97.030; and

PART II - ACCEPTING DONATIONS FOR PROTECTING VICTIMS

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 9.  A new section is added to chapter 43.31 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The Washington sexual assault kit program is created within the department for the purpose of accepting private funds conducting forensic analysis of sexual assault kits in the possession of law enforcement agencies but not submitted for analysis as of July 24, 2015. The director may accept gifts, grants, donations, or moneys from any source for deposit in the Washington sexual assault kit account created under subsection (2) of this section.

(2) The Washington sexual assault kit account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. Funds deposited in the Washington sexual assault kit account may be used for the Washington sexual assault kit program established under this section. The Washington sexual assault kit account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.

(3) Funds deposited in the Washington sexual assault kit account must be transferred and used exclusively for the following:

(a) Eighty-five percent of the funds for the Washington state patrol bureau of forensic laboratory services for the purpose of conducting forensic analysis of sexual assault kits in the possession of law enforcement agencies but not submitted for forensic analysis as of July 24, 2015; and

(b) Fifteen percent of the funds for the office of crime victims advocacy in the department for the purpose of funding grants for sexual assault nurse examiner services and training.

(4) This section expires June 30, 2022.

Sec. 10.  RCW 43.79A.040 and 2013 c 251 s 5 and 2013 c 88 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) Money in the treasurer's trust fund may be deposited, invested, and reinvested by the state treasurer in accordance with RCW 43.84.080 in the same manner and to the same extent as if the money were in the state treasury, and may be commingled with moneys in the state treasury for cash management and cash balance purposes.

(2) All income received from investment of the treasurer's trust fund must be set aside in an account in the treasury trust fund to be known as the investment income account.

(3) The investment income account may be utilized for the payment of purchased banking services on behalf of treasurer's trust funds including, but not limited to, depository, safekeeping, and disbursement functions for the state treasurer or affected state agencies. The investment income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for payments to financial institutions. Payments must occur prior to distribution of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.

(4)(a) Monthly, the state treasurer must distribute the earnings credited to the investment income account to the state general fund except under (b), (c), and (d) of this subsection.

(b) The following accounts and funds must receive their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period: The Washington promise scholarship account, the Washington advanced college tuition payment program account, the accessible communities account, the community and technical college innovation account, the agricultural local fund, the American Indian scholarship endowment fund, the foster care scholarship endowment fund, the foster care endowed scholarship trust fund, the contract harvesting revolving account, the Washington state combined fund drive account, the commemorative works account, the county enhanced 911 excise tax account, the toll collection account, the developmental disabilities endowment trust fund, the energy account, the fair fund, the family leave insurance account, the food animal veterinarian conditional scholarship account, the fruit and vegetable inspection account, the future teachers conditional scholarship account, the game farm alternative account, the GET ready for math and science scholarship account, the Washington global health technologies and product development account, the grain inspection revolving fund, the industrial insurance rainy day fund, the juvenile accountability incentive account, the law enforcement officers' and firefighters' plan 2 expense fund, the local tourism promotion account, the multiagency permitting team account, the pilotage account, the produce railcar pool account, the regional transportation investment district account, the rural rehabilitation account, the Washington sexual assault kit account, the stadium and exhibition center account, the youth athletic facility account, the self-insurance revolving fund, the children's trust fund, the Washington horse racing commission Washington bred owners' bonus fund and breeder awards account, the Washington horse racing commission class C purse fund account, the individual development account program account, the Washington horse racing commission operating account, the life sciences discovery fund, the Washington state heritage center account, the reduced cigarette ignition propensity account, the center for childhood deafness and hearing loss account, the school for the blind account, the Millersylvania park trust fund, the public employees' and retirees' insurance reserve fund, and the radiation perpetual maintenance fund.

(c) The following accounts and funds must receive eighty percent of their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period: The advanced right-of-way revolving fund, the advanced environmental mitigation revolving account, the federal narcotics asset forfeitures account, the high occupancy vehicle account, the local rail service assistance account, and the miscellaneous transportation programs account.

(d) Any state agency that has independent authority over accounts or funds not statutorily required to be held in the custody of the state treasurer that deposits funds into a fund or account in the custody of the state treasurer pursuant to an agreement with the office of the state treasurer shall receive its proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period.

(5) In conformance with Article II, section 37 of the state Constitution, no trust accounts or funds shall be allocated earnings without the specific affirmative directive of this section.

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