BILL ANALYSIS

HB 1069

TITLE OF THE BILL: Authorizing the forensic investigations council to make expenditures to assist in investigations of multiple deaths.

WHAT THIS BILL DOES: Allows the Forensic Investigations Council to spend up to $250,000 per biennium from the Death Investigations Account to assist local government to investigate multiple deaths.

SPONSORS:  Representatives Scott and Mulliken

HEARING DATE: Monday, February 1, 1999

FISCAL NOTE:  Not requested

ANALYSIS PREPARED BY: Caroleen Dineen, 786-7156

BACKGROUND:

The Washington State Forensic Investigations Council (Council) performs several functions related to death investigations as part of the state=s criminal justice system.  The Council and the University of Washington jointly oversee the state toxicology laboratory and the state forensic pathology fellowship program.  The Council also participates in preparing and approves the state crime laboratory and toxicology laboratory budgets.  Further, the authorizing statute requires the Council to study and recommend cost-efficient improvements to the state=s death investigations system.

The Death Investigations Account (Account) funds various activities associated with death investigations. The Account is funded from part of the fees received by the Department of Health for copies of vital records.   From this Account, the state treasurer makes disbursements from the death investigations account to the Council and to various entities, including:

!the state toxicology laboratory;

!the Criminal Justice Training Commission for training county coroners;

!the Washington State Patrol for providing partial funding for the state dental identification system;

!the University of Washington to fund the state forensic pathology fellowship program;

!counties for the cost of autopsies; and

!medical examiners and their staff.

SUMMARY:

The Forensic Investigations Council is authorized to spend up to $250,000 per biennium from the Death Investigations Account to assist local jurisdictions to investigate multiple deaths involving unanticipated, extraordinary and catastrophic events, or involving multiple jurisdictions.  The Forensic Investigations Council is required to adopt rules for expending funds from the Death Investigations Account for this purpose.