H-0371.1          _______________________________________________

                                  HOUSE BILL 1017

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              53rd Legislature             1993 Regular Session

By Representatives Forner, Dorn, Brough, Chandler, Brumsickle, Vance, Cooke, Thomas, Long, Reams, Van Luven, Kremen, Tate, Mielke, Miller, Ballard, Basich, Dyer, Sheldon, Wood, Foreman, I. Ballasiotes, Schoesler, Morton, Stevens, Carlson, Edmondson, Sehlin, Rayburn and Horn

Prefiled 1/8/93.  Read first time 01/11/93.  Referred to Committee on Education.

Concerning the employment of persons with a history of sexual exploitation of children.

     AN ACT Relating to public employment; and amending RCW 9.96A.020.

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

     Sec. 1.  RCW 9.96A.020 and 1973 c 135 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, a person shall not be disqualified from employment by the state of Washington or any of its agencies or political subdivisions, nor shall a person be disqualified to practice, pursue or engage in any occupation, trade, vocation, or business for which a license, permit, certificate or registration is required to be issued by the state of Washington or any of its agencies or political subdivisions solely because of a prior conviction of a felony((:  PROVIDED,)).  However, this section shall not preclude the fact of any prior conviction of a crime from being considered.

     ((However,)) (2) A person may be denied employment by the state of Washington or any of its agencies or political subdivisions, or a person may be denied a license, permit, certificate or registration to pursue, practice or engage in an occupation, trade, vocation, or business by reason of the prior conviction of a felony if the felony for which he or she was convicted directly relates to the position of employment sought or to the specific occupation, trade, vocation, or business for which the license, permit, certificate or registration is sought, and the time elapsed since the guilty plea or conviction is less than ten years.

(3) A person may be disqualified from employment as a teacher by the state of Washington or its agencies or political subdivisions, or may be disqualified for a certificate to teach, solely because of a prior guilty plea or the conviction of a felony involving sexual exploitation of a child under chapter 9.68A RCW, sexual offenses under chapter 9A.44 RCW where a minor is the victim, promoting prostitution of a minor under chapter 9A.88 RCW, or a violation of similar laws of another jurisdiction, even if the time elapsed since the guilty plea or conviction is ten years or more.

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