BILL REQ. #:  H-4201.1 

Prefiled 01/09/08. Read first time 01/14/08.   Referred to Committee on Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness.

     AN ACT Relating to providing funding to local government for purposes of registered sex and kidnapping offender address verification and community notification; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that the state sex and kidnapping offender registration system is an indispensable tool for increasing community safety. Local law enforcement agencies play a particularly important role in this system because it is their responsibility to verify the addresses and residency of registered sex and kidnapping offenders and to provide notification to the community of registered sex and kidnapping offenders within their jurisdictions. The legislature recognizes that these duties have placed enormous strain on the already limited resources of local governments throughout the state. It is therefore the intent of the legislature, in the interests of public safety, to provide a permanent state funding source to help local law enforcement agencies verify the addresses and residency of registered sex and kidnapping offenders and notify the community of registered sex and kidnapping offenders within their jurisdictions.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) The sum of five million dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, from the public safety and education account to the criminal justice training commission for the purposes of assisting local law enforcement to verify the addresses and residency of registered sex and kidnapping offenders and notify the community of registered sex and kidnapping offenders within their jurisdiction.
     (2) The funds appropriated in this section shall be distributed to local law enforcement agencies by the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs.