CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

                        SENATE BILL 5772

                    Chapter 53, Laws of 1999

                        56th Legislature

                      1999 Regular Session

CONFIDENTIALITY OF RECORDS--DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS

                    EFFECTIVE DATE:  4/20/99

Passed by the Senate March 12, 1999   YEAS 43   NAYS 0                BRAD OWEN President of the Senate Passed by the House April 7, 1999   YEAS 90   NAYS 0

CERTIFICATE I, Tony M. Cook, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is  SENATE BILL 5772 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.

CLYDE BALLARD Speaker of the       House of Representatives	TONY M. COOK                             Secretary
FRANK CHOPP Speaker of the       House of Representatives

Approved April 20, 1999 Place Style On Codes above, and Style Off Codes below.

FILED                      April 20, 1999 - 3:18 p.m.

GARY LOCKE Governor of the State of Washington

Secretary of State                  State of Washington

          _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5772

          _______________________________________________

             Passed Legislature - 1999 Regular Session

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Senators Gardner, T. Sheldon, Rasmussen, Swecker, Prentice, Costa, McCaslin, Wojahn, Spanel, Goings and Oke; by request of Secretary of State

Read first time 02/08/1999.  Referred to Committee on State & Local Government.

Strengthening confidentiality for victims of domestic violence.  

    AN ACT Relating to confidentiality of records of participants in programs for victims of domestic violence or sexual assault; amending RCW 40.24.070; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    Sec. 1.  RCW 40.24.070 and 1998 c 138 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

    The secretary of state may not make any records in a program participant's file available for inspection or copying, other than the address designated by the secretary of state, except under the following circumstances:

    (1) If requested by a law enforcement agency, to the law enforcement agency;

    (2) If directed by a court order, to a person identified in the order; or

    (3) ((If certification has been canceled; or

    (4))) To verify the participation of a specific program participant, in which case the secretary may only confirm information supplied by the requester.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.

    Passed the Senate March 12, 1999.

    Passed the House April 7, 1999.

Approved by the Governor April 20, 1999.

    Filed in Office of Secretary of State April 20, 1999.