AN ACT Relating to malicious harassment; amending RCW 9A.36.080; reenacting and amending RCW 2.56.030; and creating a new section.

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

Sec. 1. Section 1, chapter 267, Laws of 1981 as amended by section 1, chapter 268, Laws of 1984 and RCW 9A.36.080 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) A person is guilty of malicious harassment if he maliciously and with the intent to intimidate or harass another person because of, or in a way that is reasonably related to, associated with, or directed toward, that person's race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, or mental, physical, or sensory handicap:

(a) Causes physical injury to another person; or

(b) By words or conduct places another person in reasonable fear of harm to his person or property or harm to the person or property of a third person((~~: PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That it shall~~)). Such words or conduct include, but are not limited to, (i) cross burning, (ii) painting, drawing, or depicting symbols or words on the property of the victim when the symbols or words historically or traditionally connote hatred or threats toward the victim, or (iii) written or oral communication designed to intimidate or harass because of, or in a way that is reasonably related to, associated with, or directed toward, that person's race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, or mental, physical, or sensory handicap. However, it does not constitute malicious harassment for a person to speak or act in a critical, insulting, or deprecatory way ((~~so long as his or her words or actions do not constitute a threat of harm to the body~~)) unless the context or circumstances surrounding the words or conduct places another person in reasonable fear of harm to his or her person or property or harm to the person or property of ((~~another~~)) a third person; or

(2) The following constitute per se violations of this section:

(a) Cross burning; or

(b) Defacement of the property of the victim or a third person with symbols or words when the symbols or words historically or traditionally connote hatred or threats toward the victim.

(3) Malicious harassment is a class C felony.

((~~(3)~~)) (4) In addition to the criminal penalty provided in subsection ((~~(2)~~)) (3) of this section, there is hereby created a civil cause of action for malicious harassment. A person may be liable to the victim of malicious harassment for actual damages and punitive damages of up to ten thousand dollars.

((~~(4)~~)) (5) The penalties provided in this section for malicious harassment do not preclude the victims from seeking any other remedies otherwise available under law.

Sec. 2. Section 3, chapter 259, Laws of 1957 as last amended by section 23, chapter 109, Laws of 1988 and by section 2, chapter 234, Laws of 1988 and RCW 2.56.030 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

The administrator for the courts shall, under the supervision and direction of the chief justice:

(1) Examine the administrative methods and systems employed in the offices of the judges, clerks, stenographers, and employees of the courts and make recommendations, through the chief justice, for the improvement of the same;

(2) Examine the state of the dockets of the courts and determine the need for assistance by any court;

(3) Make recommendations to the chief justice relating to the assignment of judges where courts are in need of assistance and carry out the direction of the chief justice as to the assignments of judges to counties and districts where the courts are in need of assistance;

(4) Collect and compile statistical and other data and make reports of the business transacted by the courts and transmit the same to the chief justice to the end that proper action may be taken in respect thereto;

(5) Prepare and submit budget estimates of state appropriations necessary for the maintenance and operation of the judicial system and make recommendations in respect thereto;

(6) Collect statistical and other data and make reports relating to the expenditure of public moneys, state and local, for the maintenance and operation of the judicial system and the offices connected therewith;

(7) Obtain reports from clerks of courts in accordance with law or rules adopted by the supreme court of this state on cases and other judicial business in which action has been delayed beyond periods of time specified by law or rules of court and make report thereof to supreme court of this state;

(8) Act as secretary of the judicial conference referred to in RCW 2.56.060;

(9) Formulate and submit to the judicial council of this state recommendations of policies for the improvement of the judicial system;

(10) Submit annually, as of February 1st, to the chief justice and the judicial council, a report of the activities of the administrator's office for the preceding calendar year;

(11) Administer programs and standards for the training and education of judicial personnel;

(12) Examine the need for new superior court and district judge positions under a weighted caseload analysis that takes into account the time required to hear all the cases in a particular court and the amount of time existing judges have available to hear cases in that court. The results of the weighted caseload analysis shall be reviewed by the board for judicial administration and the judicial council, both of which shall make recommendations to the legislature by January 1, 1989. It is the intent of the legislature that weighted caseload analysis become the basis for creating additional district court positions, and recommendations should address that objective;

(13) Provide staff to the judicial retirement account plan under chapter 2.14 RCW;

(14) Attend to such other matters as may be assigned by the supreme court of this state; ((~~and~~))

(15) Develop a curriculum for a general understanding of child development and treatment resources, as well as specific legal skills and knowledge of relevant statutes including chapters 13.32A and 13.34 RCW, cases, court rules, interviewing skills, and special needs of the abused or neglected child. This curriculum shall be completed and made available to all juvenile court judges, court personnel, and service providers by July 1, 1988;

(16) Develop a curriculum for a general understanding of hate or bias crimes, as well as specific legal skills and knowledge of RCW 9A.36.080, relevant cases, court rules, and the special needs of malicious harassment victims. This curriculum shall be completed and made available to all superior court and court of appeals judges and to all justices of the supreme court by July 1, 1989.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The provisions of this act shall be liberally construed in order to effectuate its purpose.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.