AN ACT Relating to procedures for communicating with crime victims and survivors of crime victims; adding a new section to chapter 7.69 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

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

(2) Membership of the work group must include representatives of the following:

(a) The office of crime victims advocacy;

(b) Law enforcement;

(c) Coroners and medical examiners;

(d) Prosecutors;

(e) Chaplain services;

(f) Victim support services;

(g) A private citizen who has been directly impacted by the homicide of a family member; and

(h) Either through the membership in (a) through (g) of this subsection, or by additional membership, representatives that work directly with local victim notification processes in Whatcom county, Snohomish county, King county, Franklin county, Yakima county, and Grant county.

(3) The work group must meet at least twice, in person, for a minimum of eight hours total.

(4) The work group must:

(a) Gather information regarding the various current processes around the state for family notification of a homicide or death by other criminal means;

(b) Identify gaps, if any, in current local processes for family notification; and

(c) Generate best practices for family notification including, but not limited to:

(i) Identifying who is responsible in a local jurisdiction for providing notification;

(ii) Appropriate timelines for notification;

(iii) Alternative processes when a family member is suspected of causing the death;

(iv) Overcoming language barriers in the notification process;

(v) Collaboration between law enforcement and victim services organizations; and

(vi) Other best practices recommended by the work group.

(5) The work group must compile a report summarizing the information collected by the work group and its recommendations. The report must be submitted to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2017.

(6) This section expires December 1, 2018.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 7.69 RCW to read as follows:

When a peace officer responds to a call in which a crime has been committed and a victim or a survivor of a victim is present at the scene, or is thereafter interviewed by the officer, the officer must provide the victim or survivor with information about crime victim services. At a minimum, the officer must provide the number for a statewide crime victims service center hotline.

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