SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SSB 5864

               As Passed Senate, March 14, 1997

Title:  An act relating to drive‑by shooting.

Brief Description:  Renaming first‑degree reckless endangerment as drive‑by shooting.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Senators Roach and Schow).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Law & Justice:  3/3/97, 3/4/97 [DPS].

Passed Senate, 3/14/97, 45-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5864 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Roach, Chair; Johnson, Vice Chair; Fairley, Goings, Hargrove, Haugen, Kline, Long, McCaslin, Stevens and Zarelli.

Staff:  Aldo Melchiori (786-7439)

Background:  Reckless endangerment in the first degree is a Level VII, class B felony defined as the reckless discharge of a firearm in a manner which creates a substantial risk of death or serious physical injury to another person where the discharge is either from a motor vehicle or from the immediate area of a motor vehicle that was used to transport the shooter or the firearm, or both, to the scene of the discharge.

It has been suggested that the name "reckless endangerment" is misleading in its description of the crime.

Summary of Bill:  "Reckless endangerment in the first degree" is renamed "drive-by shooting."  "Reckless endangerment in the second degree" is renamed "reckless endangerment."

Drive-by shooting is a Aviolent offense.@

Drive-by shooting is a "most serious offense" for the purpose of finding an offender to be a persistent offender under the "Three Strikes" section of the criminal code.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  None.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  No one.