BILL REQ. #:  S-0067.1 

Read first time 01/12/2007.   Referred to Committee on Human Services & Corrections.

     AN ACT Relating to the collection of legal financial obligations; amending RCW 72.09.480; and reenacting and amending RCW 70.58.107.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 72.09.480 and 2003 c 271 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply to this section.
     (a) "Cost of incarceration" means the cost of providing an inmate with shelter, food, clothing, transportation, supervision, and other services and supplies as may be necessary for the maintenance and support of the inmate while in the custody of the department, based on the average per inmate costs established by the department and the office of financial management.
     (b) "Minimum term of confinement" means the minimum amount of time an inmate will be confined in the custody of the department, considering the sentence imposed and adjusted for the total potential earned early release time available to the inmate.
     (c) "Program" means any series of courses or classes necessary to achieve a proficiency standard, certificate, or postsecondary degree.
     (2) When an inmate, except as provided in subsection (7) of this section, receives any funds in addition to his or her wages or gratuities, except settlements or awards resulting from legal action, the additional funds shall be subject to the following deductions and the priorities established in chapter 72.11 RCW:
     (a) Five percent to the public safety and education account for the purpose of crime victims' compensation;
     (b) Ten percent to a department personal inmate savings account;
     (c) Twenty percent to the department to contribute to the cost of incarceration;
     (d) Twenty percent for payment of legal financial obligations for all inmates who have legal financial obligations owing in any Washington state superior court; and
     (e) Fifteen percent for any child support owed under a support order.
     (3) When an inmate, except as provided in subsection (7) of this section, receives any funds from a settlement or award resulting from a legal action, the additional funds shall be subject to the deductions in RCW 72.09.111(1)(a) and the priorities established in chapter 72.11 RCW.
     (4) The amount deducted from an inmate's funds under subsection (2) of this section shall not exceed the department's total cost of incarceration for the inmate incurred during the inmate's minimum or actual term of confinement, whichever is longer.
     (5) The deductions required under subsection (2) of this section shall not apply to funds received by the department on behalf of an offender for payment of one fee-based education or vocational program that is associated with an inmate's work program or a placement decision made by the department under RCW 72.09.460 to prepare an inmate for work upon release.
     An inmate may, prior to the completion of the fee-based education or vocational program authorized under this subsection, apply to a person designated by the secretary for permission to make a change in his or her program. The secretary, or his or her designee, may approve the application based solely on the following criteria: (a) The inmate has been transferred to another institution by the department for reasons unrelated to education or a change to a higher security classification and the offender's current program is unavailable in the offender's new placement; (b) the inmate entered an academic program as an undeclared major and wishes to declare a major. No inmate may apply for more than one change to his or her major and receive the exemption from deductions specified in this subsection; (c) the educational or vocational institution is terminating the inmate's current program; or (d) the offender's training or education has demonstrated that the current program is not the appropriate program to assist the offender to achieve a placement decision made by the department under RCW 72.09.460 to prepare the inmate for work upon release.
     (6) The deductions required under subsection (2) of this section shall not apply to any money received by the department, on behalf of an inmate, from family or other outside sources for the payment of postage expenses. Money received under this subsection may only be used for the payment of postage expenses and may not be transferred to any other account or purpose. Money that remains unused in the inmate's postage fund at the time of release shall be subject to the deductions outlined in subsection (2) of this section.
     (7) When an inmate sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of release or ((parole, or to death under chapter 10.95 RCW, receives any funds in addition to his or her gratuities, except settlements or awards resulting from legal action, the additional funds shall be subject to: Deductions of five percent to the public safety and education account for the purpose of crime victims' compensation, twenty percent to the department to contribute to the cost of incarceration, and fifteen percent to child support payments.
     (8) When an inmate sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of release or parole, or to death under chapter 10.95 RCW, receives any funds from a settlement or award resulting from a legal action in addition to his or her gratuities, the additional funds shall be subject to: Deductions of five percent to the public safety and education account for the purpose of crime victims' compensation and twenty percent to the department to contribute to the cost of incarceration)) sentenced to death under chapter 10.95 RCW receives funds, deductions are required under subsection (2) of this section, with the exception of interest on savings under subsection (8) of this section.
     (((9))) (8) The interest earned on an inmate savings account created as a result of the plan in section 4, chapter 325, Laws of 1999 shall be exempt from the mandatory deductions under this section and RCW 72.09.111.
     (((10))) (9) Nothing in this section shall limit the authority of the department of social and health services division of child support, the county clerk, or a restitution recipient from taking collection action against an inmate's moneys, assets, or property pursuant to chapter 26.23, 74.20, or 74.20A RCW including, but not limited to, the collection of moneys received by the inmate from settlements or awards resulting from legal action.

Sec. 2   RCW 70.58.107 and 2003 c 272 s 1 and 2003 c 241 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     The department of health shall charge a fee of seventeen dollars for certified copies of records and for copies or information provided for research, statistical, or administrative purposes, and eight dollars for a search of the files or records when no copy is made. The department shall prescribe by regulation fees to be paid for preparing sealed files and for opening sealed files.
     No fee may be demanded or required for furnishing certified copies of a birth, death, fetal death, marriage, divorce, annulment, or legal separation record for use in connection with a claim for compensation or pension pending before the veterans administration. No fee may be demanded or required for furnishing certified copies of a death certificate of a sex offender for use by a law enforcement agency in maintaining a registered sex offender data base, or that of any offender requested by a county clerk or court in the state of Washington for purposes of extinguishing the offender's legal financial obligation.
     The department shall keep a true and correct account of all fees received and transmit the fees to the state treasurer on a weekly basis.
     Local registrars shall charge the same fees as the state as hereinabove provided and as prescribed by department regulation except in cases where payment is made by credit card, charge card, debit card, smart card, stored value card, federal wire, automatic clearinghouse system, or other electronic communication. Payment by these electronic methods may be subject to an additional fee consistent with the requirements established by RCW 36.29.190. All such fees collected, except for seven dollars of each fee collected for the issuance of birth certificates and first copies of death certificates and fourteen dollars of each fee collected for additional copies of the same death certificate ordered at the same time as the first copy, shall be paid to the jurisdictional health department.
     All local registrars in cities and counties shall keep a true and correct account of all fees received under this section for the issuance of certified copies and shall transmit seven dollars of the fees collected for birth certificates and first copies of death certificates and fourteen dollars of the fee collected for additional copies of death certificates to the state treasurer on or before the first day of January, April, July, and October. All but five dollars of the fees turned over to the state treasurer by local registrars shall be paid to the department of health for the purpose of developing and maintaining the state vital records systems, including a web-based electronic death registration system.
     Five dollars of each fee imposed for the issuance of certified copies, except for copies suitable for display issued under RCW 70.58.085, at both the state and local levels shall be held by the state treasurer in the death investigations' account established by RCW 43.79.445.