FINAL BILL REPORT

SSB 5468

C 164 L 01

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Revising the chemical dependency disposition alternative.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections (originally sponsored by Senators Costa, Long, Hargrove and Kohl‑Welles; by request of Department of Social and Health Services).

Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections

House Committee on Juvenile Justice

Background:  The Chemical Dependency Disposition Alternative (CDDA) is available to juveniles and allows the court to suspend the sentence and place a juvenile offender on community supervision and other sanctions for up to a year on the condition that the offender undergo drug or alcohol treatment.  The CDDA Advisory Committee requested the changes proposed in order to allow more juvenile offenders to be considered for this alternative.

Summary:  Courts may consider substance abusers eligible for this alternative in addition to those who are chemically dependent.  Courts are allowed to consider first time B+ offenders under RCW 69.50.  The proposed treatment plan no longer requires a determination of whether the respondent is amenable to treatment, and separates out the 30 days detention time from the 90-day inpatient treatment time in order to prevent time served from decreasing needed inpatient treatment time.

The defendant is responsible for paying for the first examination and the requesting party is responsible for paying for the second examination.  If the defendant is indigent and no insurance is available, the state pays the cost.

The court has the authority to impose community supervision sanctions if the offender violates any condition of his or her disposition or fails to make satisfactory progress in treatment.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate480

House     97 0 (House amended)

Senate    46 0 (Senate concurred)

Effective:  July 22, 2001