HB 1147-S - DIGEST

(DIGEST AS ENACTED)

Provides for the protection of communities from sex offenders through the establishment of community protection zones.

Declares that "community protection zone" means the area within eight hundred eighty feet of the facilities and grounds of a public or private school.

Provides that, if the offense that caused the offender to be sentenced under this section was an offense listed in this act and the victim of the offense was under eighteen years of age at the time of the offense, the court shall, as a condition of community custody, prohibit the offender from residing in a community protection zone.

Provides that, for any offender prohibited from living in a community protection zone under RCW 9.94A.712(6)(a)(ii), the department may not approve a residence location if the proposed residence is in a community protection zone.

Establishes the joint task force on sex offender management to examine issues of community safety and the management of sex offenders in the community and shall work in collaboration with the partnership for community safety.

Requires the task force to make recommendations to the governor and the legislature not later than December 1, 2005, on the following subjects: (1) The effectiveness of community protection zones and other strategies to promote community safety, including recommendations on proactive and reactive approaches to sex offender residence locations and any statutory, constitutional, or practical limitations on the state's ability to address sex offender housing requirements;

(2) Standardization of the community sex offender notification process;

(3) Applicability of the public disclosure act to sex offender information sharing;

(4) The training needs of law enforcement, criminal justice staff, and school personnel to increase community safety in relationship to sex offender notification and management strategies; and

(5) The impact and advisability of prenotification of local government officials related to sex offender residence location.

Provides that law enforcement agencies and the department of corrections are immune from civil liability for damages from discretionary decisions made under this act if they make a good faith effort to comply with this act.