HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  SB 6741

             As Reported By House Committee On:

               Criminal Justice & Corrections

Title:  An act relating to the organized crime advisory board.

Brief Description:  Adding the secretary of corrections to the organized crime advisory board.

Sponsors:  Senators Horn, Fairley, Winsley and Oke; by request of Washington State Patrol.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Criminal Justice & Corrections:  2/22/00 [DP].

                 Brief Summary of Bill

$Expands the Organized Crime Advisory Board from 13 members to 14 members. 

$Requires the Governor to appoint the secretary of the Department of Corrections or the secretary's designee as a member to the Organized Crime Advisory Board.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE & CORRECTIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 8 members:  Representatives Ballasiotes, Republican Co-Chair; O'Brien, Democratic Co-Chair; Cairnes, Republican Vice Chair; Lovick, Democratic Vice Chair; B. Chandler; Constantine; Kagi and Koster.

Staff:  Yvonne Walker (786-7841).

Background:

The Organized Crime Advisory Board meets with the chief of the Washington State Patrol at least four times a year to discuss any matters related to organized crime.  It is responsible for advising the Governor of various activities encompassing the overall statewide organized crime intelligence effort.

The Organized Crime Advisory Board is composed of 13 voting members, who are appointed as follows:

Cthe Lieutenant Governor appoints four members from the Senate of which no more than two of whom must be from the same political party;

Cthe Speaker of the House appoints four members from the House of Representatives of which no more than two of whom must be from the same political party;

Cthe Governor appoints five members:  two county prosecuting attorneys, one municipal police chief, one county sheriff, and one retired judge of a court.

Organized crime includes those activities which are conducted and carried on by members of an organized disciplined association engaged in supplying illegal goods and services, or engaged in criminal activities in contravention of the laws of Washington or of the United States.

Summary of Bill:

The Organized Crime Advisory Board is expanded from 13 members to 14 members.  The Governor must appoint the secretary of the Department of Corrections or the secretary's designee as a member to the Organized Crime Advisory Board.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  The bill simply brings the Department of Corrections to the table and helps facilitate communication regarding offenders who may be involved in criminal activities.  It gives the State Patrol the opportunity to bring the Department of Corrections  to the table since many of the people that the State Patrol deals with on the outside later end up on the inside (in prison) and continue their criminal enterprise from behind bars.

Appointing the secretary of the Department of Corrections to the board is a vital link that the board needs to have to the table.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified:  Senator Horn, prime sponsor; Joe Lehman, Secretary of Department of Corrections; Chief Annette Sandberg, Washington State Patrol; and Larry Erickson, Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.