FINAL BILL REPORT

SSB 5290

C 46 L 03

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Authorizing the horse racing commission to continue receiving criminal history information.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Commerce & Trade (originally sponsored by Senators West, Rasmussen, Hale and Winsley; by request of Horse Racing Commission).

Senate Committee on Commerce & Trade

House Committee on Commerce & Labor

Background: Horse owners, trainers, jockeys, veterinarians, and others who participate in pari-mutuel horse racing meets must be licensed annually by the Horse Racing Commission. An applicant's criminal history is one issue the commission considers as part of the licensing process.

Criminal history records can contain both conviction and nonconviction data. Conviction data includes arrests, detentions, and other formal charges that resulted in a disposition, along with arrests that are pending and less than one year old. Nonconviction data includes arrests, (including those with no dispositions that are over a year old), detentions, and formal charges that did not lead to convictions and that are not currently pending.

The Criminal Records Privacy Act (RCW 10.97.050) provides that "conviction records may be disseminated without restriction," but that criminal history records containing nonconviction data may be disseminated only as authorized by statute.

In Chapter 204, Laws of 2000, the Horse Racing Commission was authorized to receive criminal history records containing both conviction and nonconviction data. This statute is set to expire June 30, 2003.

Summary: The provision of Chapter 204, Laws of 2000, setting an expiration date is repealed.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate       46  1

House       95  0

Effective: April 17, 2003