SENATE BILL REPORT

ESSB 6256

As Passed Senate, February 17, 2004

Title: An act relating to the collection of criminal palmprint records.

Brief Description: Authorizing collection of offenders' palmprints.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Children & Family Services & Corrections (originally sponsored by Senators Brandland, Kline, McCaslin, Roach, Winsley and Oke).

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Children & Family Services & Corrections: 1/20/04, 1/30/04 [DPS].

Passed Senate: 2/17/04, 46-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES & CORRECTIONS

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6256 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators Stevens, Chair; Parlette, Vice Chair; Carlson, Deccio, Hargrove, McAuliffe and Regala.

Staff: Lilah Amos (786-7429)

Background: Adults and juveniles who are arrested in Washington must be fingerprinted and photographed. The taking of palmprints, as well as soleprints, toeprints, and other identifying information, is authorized at the discretion of the arresting agency. The Washington State Patrol is required to maintain a record of fingerprints of arrested individuals and those persons found to have abused or exploited a child or vulnerable adult, and has discretion to maintain records of palmprints and other identifying information for those persons.

Summary of Bill: Any person serving a jail or prison sentence for any felony or gross misdemeanor must be palmprinted before being released, unless that person's palmprints are already on file with any Washington law enforcement agency. City and county correctional facilities are not required to collect palmprints if the incarcerated adult or juvenile is being held for transport to a state institution.

The Washington State Patrol must maintain a record of palmprints only after it has created rules for accepting the prints and has the resources to use the prints as part of its automated fingerprint imaging system. Agencies required to collect palmprints are authorized to charge a fee of not more than $10 to record and maintain palmprint records.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on January 16, 2004.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: Palmprints can be valuable forensic tools. Technology is being developed which will allow palmprints to be digitally imaged and transmitted, as is currently done with fingerprints. A database of offender palmprints will be useful when the technology for digital transmission and comparison of palmprints is available.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: PRO: Senator Dale Brandland, prime sponsor; Glenn Cramer, WSP; Tim Schellberg, WASPC.