Z-0126.1

SENATE BILL 5081

BySenators Nobles, Trudeau, Dhingra, Frame, Hasegawa, Keiser, Lovick, Nguyen, Saldaña, Salomon, Shewmake, Stanford, Wagoner, Warnick, Wellman, C. Wilson, and J. Wilson; by request of Department of Corrections

AN ACT Relating to victim notification; amending RCW 72.09.712 and 72.09.714; and adding a new section to chapter 42.56 RCW.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 72.09.712 and 2022 c 82 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) At the earliest possible date, and in no event later than thirty days before release except in the event of escape or emergency furloughs as defined in RCW 72.66.010, the department of corrections shall send written notice of parole, release, community custody, work release placement, furlough, or escape about a specific inmate convicted of a violent offense, a sex offense as defined by RCW 9.94A.030, a domestic violence court order violation pursuant to RCW 7.105.450, 10.99.040, 10.99.050, 26.09.300, 26.26B.050, or 26.52.070, or any of the former RCW 26.50.110 and 74.34.145, a felony harassment offense as defined by RCW 9A.46.060 or 9A.46.110, a domestic violence offense as defined by RCW 10.99.020, an assault in the third degree offense as defined by RCW 9A.36.031, an unlawful imprisonment offense as defined by RCW 9A.40.040, a vehicular homicide by disregard for the safety of others offense as defined by RCW 46.61.520, or a controlled substances homicide offense as defined by RCW 69.50.415, to the following:

(a) The chief of police of the city, if any, in which the inmate will reside or in which placement will be made in a work release program; and

(b) The sheriff of the county in which the inmate will reside or in which placement will be made in a work release program.

The sheriff of the county where the offender was convicted shall be notified if the department does not know where the offender will reside. The department shall notify the state patrol of the release of all sex offenders, and that information shall be placed in the Washington crime information center for dissemination to all law enforcement.

(2) The same notice as required by subsection (1) of this section shall be sent to the following if such notice has been requested in writing about a specific inmate convicted of a violent offense, a sex offense as defined by RCW 9.94A.030, a domestic violence court order violation pursuant to RCW 7.105.450, 10.99.040, 10.99.050, 26.09.300, 26.26B.050, or 26.52.070, or any of the former RCW 26.50.110 and 74.34.145, a felony harassment offense as defined by RCW 9A.46.060 or 9A.46.110, a domestic violence offense as defined by RCW 10.99.020, an assault in the third degree offense as defined by RCW 9A.36.031, an unlawful imprisonment offense as defined by RCW 9A.40.040, a vehicular homicide by disregard for the safety of others offense as defined by RCW 46.61.520, or a controlled substances homicide offense as defined by RCW 69.50.415:

(a) The victim of the crime for which the inmate was convicted or the victim's next of kin if the crime was a homicide;

(b) Any witnesses who testified against the inmate in any court proceedings involving the violent offense;

(c) Any person specified in writing by the prosecuting attorney; and

(d) Any person who requests such notice about a specific inmate convicted of a sex offense as defined by RCW 9.94A.030 from the department of corrections at least sixty days prior to the expected release date of the offender.

Information regarding victims, next of kin, or witnesses requesting the notice, information regarding any other person specified in writing by the prosecuting attorney to receive the notice, and the notice are confidential and shall not be available to the inmate. Whenever the department of corrections mails notice pursuant to this subsection and the notice is returned as undeliverable, the department shall attempt alternative methods of notification, including a telephone call to the person's last known telephone number.

(3) The existence of the notice requirements contained in subsections (1) and (2) of this section shall not require an extension of the release date in the event that the release plan changes after notification.

(4) If an inmate convicted of a violent offense, a sex offense as defined by RCW 9.94A.030, a domestic violence court order violation pursuant to RCW 7.105.450, 10.99.040, 10.99.050, 26.09.300, 26.26B.050, or 26.52.070, or any of the former RCW 26.50.110 and 74.34.145, a felony harassment offense as defined by RCW 9A.46.060 or 9A.46.110, a domestic violence offense as defined by RCW 10.99.020, an assault in the third degree offense as defined by RCW 9A.36.031, an unlawful imprisonment offense as defined by RCW 9A.40.040, a vehicular homicide by disregard for the safety of others offense as defined by RCW 46.61.520, or a controlled substances homicide offense as defined by RCW 69.50.415, escapes from a correctional facility, the department of corrections shall immediately notify, by the most reasonable and expedient means available, the chief of police of the city and the sheriff of the county in which the inmate resided immediately before the inmate's arrest and conviction. If previously requested, the department shall also notify the witnesses and the victim of the crime for which the inmate was convicted or the victim's next of kin if the crime was a homicide. If the inmate is recaptured, the department shall send notice to the persons designated in this subsection as soon as possible but in no event later than two working days after the department learns of such recapture.

(5) If the victim, the victim's next of kin, or any witness is under the age of sixteen, the notice required by this section shall be sent to the parents or legal guardian of the child.

(6) The department of corrections shall send the notices required by this chapter to the last address provided to the department by the requesting party. The requesting party shall furnish the department with a current address.

(7) The department of corrections shall keep, for a minimum of two years following the release of an inmate, the following:

(a) A document signed by an individual as proof that that person is registered in the victim or witness notification program; and

(b) A receipt showing that an individual registered in the victim or witness notification program was mailed a notice, at the individual's last known address, upon the release or movement of an inmate.

(8) For purposes of this section the following terms have the following meanings:

(a) "Violent offense" means a violent offense under RCW 9.94A.030;

(b) "Next of kin" means a person's spouse, state registered domestic partner, parents, siblings and children.

(9) Nothing in this section shall impose any liability upon a chief of police of a city or sheriff of a county for failing to request in writing a notice as provided in subsection (1) of this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 42.56 RCW to read as follows:

Information and records prepared, owned, used, or retained by the department of corrections that reveal any notification or request for notification regarding any specific individual, or the identity or location of, or any information submitted by, a person who requests or is invited to enroll for notification under RCW 72.09.712(2), are exempt from public inspection and copying under this chapter.

Sec. 3. RCW 72.09.714 and 2021 c 215 s 161 are each amended to read as follows:

The department of corrections shall provide the victims, witnesses, and next of kin in the case of a homicide and victims and witnesses involved in violent offense cases, sex offenses as defined by RCW 9.94A.030, a domestic violence court order violation pursuant to RCW 7.105.450, 10.99.040, 10.99.050, 26.09.300, 26.10.220, 26.26B.050, or 26.52.070, or any of the former RCW 26.50.110 and 74.34.145, ((or)) a felony harassment pursuant to RCW 9A.46.060 or 9A.46.110, a domestic violence offense as defined in RCW 10.99.020, an assault in the third degree offense under RCW 9A.36.031, an unlawful imprisonment offense under RCW 9A.40.040, a vehicular homicide by disregard for the safety of others offense under RCW 46.61.520, or a controlled substances homicide offense under RCW 69.50.415, a statement of the rights of victims and witnesses to request and receive notification under RCW 72.09.712 and 72.09.716.

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