FINAL BILL REPORT

ESSB 6143

C 283 L 01

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Requiring publication of level III sex and kidnapping offender notifications.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections (originally sponsored by Senators T. Sheldon, Hargrove, Long, Costa, Roach, Snyder, McCaslin, Spanel, Winsley, Gardner, Eide, Zarelli, Rossi, Benton, Hochstatter, Swecker, Kastama, Shin, Patterson, Kline, Fraser, McAuliffe and Rasmussen).

Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections

Background:  In reviewing the community notification provisions for registered sex offenders, it became clear after a recent event that there are ways in which the current notification requirements may be insufficient to adequately notify the public.

Summary:  The county sheriff must submit level III sex offender community notifications to at least one legal newspaper with general circulation in the area of the sex offender's registered address or location.  The newspaper must have a policy to print all statutorily required notices in order to be qualified as a legal newspaper.  A current list of level III registered sex offenders must be published twice yearly.  The county sheriff must also maintain a list of level III sex offenders on a publicly accessible web site and update it at least monthly.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate480

House     87 0

Effective:  July 22, 2001