BILL ANALYSIS

SB 5202

TITLE OF THE BILL:  Preventing convicted embezzlers from working for the county treasurer.

WHAT THIS BILL DOES:  Allows county treasurers to deny employment because of any prior guilty plea or conviction for a felony involving theft or embezzlement.

SPONSORS:  Senate State and Local Government Committee (originally sponsored by Senators Loveland, Hale and Winsley.)

HEARING DATE:  Thursday, March 25, 1999

FISCAL NOTE:  Not requested.

ANALYSIS PREPARED BY:  Caroleen Dineen (786-7156)

BACKGROUND:

Under Washington law, a person generally may not be denied employment by the state of Washington or local governments solely because the person has a prior felony conviction.  A person generally also may not be denied a permit, license, certificate or registration required to practice or engage in a profession or occupation solely because of a felony conviction.  The conviction, however, may be considered in these contexts. 

Certain exceptions exist to this general rule.  A person may be denied employment by state or local government agencies and may be denied a permit, license, certificate or registration because of a felony conviction if the:

Cfelony conviction relates to the position of employment or the occupation for which the permit, license, certificate or registration is sought; and

Ctime elapsed since the felony conviction is fewer than 10 years.

A person also may be denied educational certification or school district employment because of a guilty plea or conviction for specified child-related felony offenses, regardless of the time elapsed since the guilty plea or conviction.

SUMMARY:

A new exception to the general rule regarding felony convictions is added.  A person may be denied employment with the county treasurer=s office because of a felony guilty plea or felony conviction involving embezzlement or theft, even if the time elapsed since the guilty plea or conviction is equal to or greater than 10 years.