HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 2351

                    As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to the address confidentiality program.

Brief Description:  Allowing victims of sexual assault into the address confidentiality program.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Government Administration (originally sponsored by Representatives McDonald, Costa, L. Thomas, Scott, Gardner, Linville, Hatfield, Benson, Keiser, Romero, Butler, Dunshee, Kessler, Kenney, Cooke, Mitchell, Cooper, Kastama, Dunn, Lambert, Constantine, Sullivan, Conway and Lantz; by request of Secretary of State).

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Government Administration:  1/20/98 [DPS].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  2/7/98, 93-0.

Senate Amended.

House Concurred.

Passed Legislature.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 10 members:  Representatives D. Schmidt, Chairman; D. Sommers, Vice Chairman; Scott, Ranking Minority Member; Gardner, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Doumit; Dunn; Dunshee; L. Thomas; Wensman and Wolfe.

Staff:  Steve Lundin (786-7127).

Background:  A program of address confidentiality for victims of domestic violence is provided by the Secretary of State's office.  A participant in this program may use an address designated by the Secretary of State as her or his residential address, school address, or work address.  All first class mail that is delivered to the participant at the designated address is forwarded to the participant.

Records of the actual address of a participant may not be disclosed except to law enforcement agencies, by court order, or if the certification of the person in the program has been canceled.

The Secretary of State may designate state and local agencies and nonprofit agencies that provide counseling and shelter services to victims of domestic assault to assist persons applying to be program participants.

A program participant may apply for on-going absentee voter and receive ballots in the same manner as a service voter.

Summary of Bill:  The program of address confidentiality for victims of domestic violence is expanded to include victims of sexual assault.

 The secretary of state may not disclose any information other than the designated address of a program participant.  To verify a person's participation in the program, the secretary of state may confirm information supplied by the requestor.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested January 20, 1998.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Victims of sexual assault need this protection.  The Secretary of State's office can absorb the added responsibilities without much effort or expense.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative McDonald, prime sponsor; Margaret McKinney, Office of the Secretary of State; and Suzanne Brown, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Program.