Brief Description: Including level I offenders who fail to maintain registration as required by RCW 9A.44.130 to the statewide notification web site.

Sponsors: By Representatives Kelley, Hurst, Lantz, Upthegrove, Pearson, Morrell, Priest, Kenney, Haler, Williams, Loomis, Smith, Bailey, Kristiansen, McCune, Simpson and VanDeWege; by request of Governor Gregoire.

House Committee on Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness
Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections

Background:

Under the Community Protection Act of 1990, a sex or kidnapping offender must register with the county sheriff of the county in which he or she resides. The offender must provide certain information upon registration including name, complete residential address, date and place of birth, place of employment, crime of conviction, date and place of conviction, aliases, Social Security number, photograph, and fingerprints.

Law enforcement agencies are authorized to release information regarding registered sex offenders based on the offenders' risk level. For example, for a risk level I offender (evaluated as presenting the least amount of risk to the larger community), a law enforcement agency may only disclose the offender's information to specified persons and entities; e.g., schools, victims, and witnesses. For a risk level III offender (evaluated as presenting the largest amount of risk to the larger community), a law enforcement agency may disclose the offender's information to the public at large.

In addition, the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs operates a website that contains information on all registered kidnapping offenders and all registered level II and level III sex offenders. The website is capable of showing the location of registered sex offenders on a map and is searchable by county, city, zip code, last name, type of conviction, and address by hundred block.

Summary:

The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs must include on the statewide sex offender website level I sex offenders during the time they are out of compliance with the registration statute.

Votes on Final Passage:

House   97   0
Senate   44   0   (Senate amended)
House   95   0   (House concurred)

Effective: June 12, 2008