S-3656               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6281

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Senators Thorsness, Stratton, Metcalf, Owen, Bauer, Amondson, Rasmussen, Craswell, Saling, Lee, Bailey, Newhouse, Hayner, Sellar, Bluechel, Johnson, Benitz, Barr, McCaslin, West, Warnke, Smith, von Reichbauer, Sutherland and Vognild

Read first time 1/10/90 and referred to Committee on  Law & Justice.

AN ACT Relating to registration of sexual offenders; adding a new section to chapter 9A.44 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.43 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 72.09 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 70.48 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 46.20 RCW; creating a new section; and prescribing penalties.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 9A.44 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) All persons residing in this state who have been convicted of or placed on diversion for a sexual offense in this state or any other state are required to register with the chief law enforcement officer in the county where the offender resides.

          (2) The person shall provide the chief law enforcement officer with the following information: (a) Name; (b) address; (c) place of employment; (d) crime convicted of; and (e) date and place of conviction.

          (3) The chief law enforcement officer shall immediately transmit such information to the state patrol.

          (4) "Sexual offense" for the purposes of this section means any violation of this chapter or a substantially similar crime in another state.

          (5) When a person who is required to register under subsection (1) of this section changes his or her residence, the person shall register with the chief law enforcement officer of the new county of residence within five days.

          (6) Violation of this section is a gross misdemeanor.

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

          The state patrol shall maintain a central registry of sexual offenders convicted of sexual offenses as defined in section 1 of this act and shall adopt such rules as necessary in carrying out the provisions of this section.  Records in the central registry shall be confidential  and will not be available to any person or agency without a court order except:

          (1) Law enforcement agencies as defined in this chapter in the course of an investigation;

          (2) Any person engaged in a bona fide research purpose, as determined by the state patrol by rule, so long as the information identifying the persons on the registry remains confidential; and

          (3) An individual whose name appears on the registry as to his or her own records.

          Persons or agencies exempted by this section  shall not disseminate or release the information provided to them and shall maintain confidentiality.  A violation of this section shall constitute a misdemeanor.

          Neither the state patrol, its employees, nor the chief law enforcement officer of any county is liable for defamation, invasion of privacy, negligence, or other claim in connection with the dissemination of information under this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 72.09 RCW to read as follows:

          The department shall provide written notification to an inmate convicted of a sexual offense  of the registration requirements of section 1 of this act at the time of the inmate's release from confinement.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 70.48 RCW to read as follows:

          A person having charge of a jail shall notify any prisoner or confined person in the custody of the jail for the conviction of a sexual offense  of the registration requirements of section 1 of this act at the time of the prisoner's release from confinement.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.  A new section is added to chapter 46.20 RCW to read as follows:

          The department, at the time a person surrenders a driver's license from another jurisdiction pursuant to RCW 46.20.021 and makes an application for a driver's license or an identicard in this state, shall provide the applicant with written information on the registration requirements of section 1 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.     The diversion counselor or department of corrections shall notify persons convicted of a felony but not confined of the person's duty to register under section 1 of this act.