CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

HOUSE BILL 2612

Chapter 268, Laws of 2006

59th Legislature
2006 Regular Session



FAILURE TO SECURE A LOAD--CRIME VICTIMS' COMPENSATION



EFFECTIVE DATE: 6/7/06

Passed by the House February 14, 2006
  Yeas 97   Nays 0

FRANK CHOPP
________________________________________    
Speaker of the House of Representatives


Passed by the Senate March 8, 2006
  Yeas 49   Nays 0


BRAD OWEN
________________________________________    
President of the Senate
 
CERTIFICATE

I, Richard Nafziger, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is HOUSE BILL 2612 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth.


RICHARD NAFZIGER
________________________________________    
Chief Clerk
Approved March 28, 2006.








CHRISTINE GREGOIRE
________________________________________    
Governor of the State of Washington
 
FILED
March 28, 2006 - 2:26 p.m.







Secretary of State
State of Washington


_____________________________________________ 

HOUSE BILL 2612
_____________________________________________

Passed Legislature - 2006 Regular Session
State of Washington59th Legislature2006 Regular Session

By Representatives Kagi, O'Brien, Darneille, Rodne, Kenney, Schual-Berke, Morrell and Springer; by request of Department of Labor & Industries

Read first time 01/11/2006.   Referred to Committee on Criminal Justice & Corrections.



     AN ACT Relating to including failure to secure a load in the first degree as a compensable crime under the crime victims' compensation program; and amending RCW 7.68.020.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 7.68.020 and 2002 c 10 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     The following words and phrases as used in this chapter have the meanings set forth in this section unless the context otherwise requires.
     (1) "Department" means the department of labor and industries.
     (2) "Criminal act" means an act committed or attempted in this state which is: (a) Punishable as a federal offense that is comparable to a felony or gross misdemeanor in this state; (b) punishable as a felony or gross misdemeanor under the laws of this state; (c) an act committed outside the state of Washington against a resident of the state of Washington which would be compensable had it occurred inside this state and the crime occurred in a state which does not have a crime victims compensation program, for which the victim is eligible as set forth in the Washington compensation law; or (d) an act of terrorism as defined in 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2331, as it exists on May 2, 1997, committed outside of the United States against a resident of the state of Washington, except as follows:
     (i) The operation of a motor vehicle, motorcycle, train, boat, or aircraft in violation of law does not constitute a "criminal act" unless:
     (A) The injury or death was intentionally inflicted;
     (B) The operation thereof was part of the commission of another non-vehicular criminal act as defined in this section;
     (C) The death or injury was the result of the operation of a motor vehicle after July 24, 1983, and a preponderance of the evidence establishes that the death was the result of vehicular homicide under RCW 46.61.520, or a conviction of vehicular assault under RCW 46.61.522, has been obtained: PROVIDED, That in cases where a probable criminal defendant has died in perpetration of vehicular assault or, in cases where the perpetrator of the vehicular assault is unascertainable because he or she left the scene of the accident in violation of RCW 46.52.020 or, because of physical or mental infirmity or disability the perpetrator is incapable of standing trial for vehicular assault, the department may, by a preponderance of the evidence, establish that a vehicular assault had been committed and authorize benefits; ((or))
     (D) The injury or death was caused by a driver in violation of RCW 46.61.502; or
     (E) The injury or death was caused by a driver in violation of RCW 46.61.655(7)(a), failure to secure a load in the first degree;

     (ii) Neither an acquittal in a criminal prosecution nor the absence of any such prosecution is admissible in any claim or proceeding under this chapter as evidence of the noncriminal character of the acts giving rise to such claim or proceeding, except as provided for in (d)(i)(C) of this subsection;
     (iii) Evidence of a criminal conviction arising from acts which are the basis for a claim or proceeding under this chapter is admissible in such claim or proceeding for the limited purpose of proving the criminal character of the acts; and
     (iv) Acts which, but for the insanity or mental irresponsibility of the perpetrator, would constitute criminal conduct are deemed to be criminal conduct within the meaning of this chapter.
     (3) "Victim" means a person who suffers bodily injury or death as a proximate result of a criminal act of another person, the victim's own good faith and reasonable effort to prevent a criminal act, or his or her good faith effort to apprehend a person reasonably suspected of engaging in a criminal act. For the purposes of receiving benefits pursuant to this chapter, "victim" is interchangeable with "employee" or "worker" as defined in chapter 51.08 RCW as now or hereafter amended.
     (4) "Child," "accredited school," "dependent," "beneficiary," "average monthly wage," "director," "injury," "invalid," "permanent partial disability," and "permanent total disability" have the meanings assigned to them in chapter 51.08 RCW as now or hereafter amended.
     (5) "Gainfully employed" means engaging on a regular and continuous basis in a lawful activity from which a person derives a livelihood.
     (6) "Private insurance" means any source of recompense provided by contract available as a result of the claimed injury or death at the time of such injury or death, or which becomes available any time thereafter.
     (7) "Public insurance" means any source of recompense provided by statute, state or federal, available as a result of the claimed injury or death at the time of such injury or death, or which becomes available any time thereafter.


         Passed by the House February 14, 2006.
         Passed by the Senate March 8, 2006.
         Approved by the Governor March 28, 2006.
         Filed in Office of Secretary of State March 28, 2006.