Passed by the Senate March 10, 2008 YEAS 47   BRAD OWEN ________________________________________ President of the Senate Passed by the House March 4, 2008 YEAS 95   FRANK CHOPP ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives | I, Thomas Hoemann, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6339 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth. THOMAS HOEMANN ________________________________________ Secretary | |
Approved April 1, 2008, 3:57 p.m. CHRISTINE GREGOIRE ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | April 2, 2008 Secretary of State State of Washington |
State of Washington | 60th Legislature | 2008 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 01/24/08.
AN ACT Relating to address confidentiality of victims of trafficking; and amending RCW 40.24.010, 40.24.020, 40.24.030, and 40.24.080.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 40.24.010 and 2001 c 28 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
The legislature finds that persons attempting to escape from actual
or threatened domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, or
stalking frequently establish new addresses in order to prevent their
assailants or probable assailants from finding them. The purpose of
this chapter is to enable state and local agencies to respond to
requests for public records without disclosing the location of a victim
of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, or stalking, to
enable interagency cooperation with the secretary of state in providing
address confidentiality for victims of domestic violence, sexual
assault, trafficking, or stalking, and to enable state and local
agencies to accept a program participant's use of an address designated
by the secretary of state as a substitute mailing address.
Sec. 2 RCW 40.24.020 and 1991 c 23 s 2 are each amended to read
as follows:
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in
this section apply throughout this chapter.
(1) "Address" means a residential street address, school address,
or work address of an individual, as specified on the individual's
application to be a program participant under this chapter.
(2) "Program participant" means a person certified as a program
participant under RCW 40.24.030.
(3) "Domestic violence" means an act as defined in RCW 10.99.020
and includes a threat of such acts committed against an individual in
a domestic situation, regardless of whether these acts or threats have
been reported to law enforcement officers.
(4) "Trafficking" means an act as defined in RCW 9A.40.100 or an
act recognized as a severe form of trafficking under 22 U.S.C. Sec.
7102(8) as it existed on the effective date of this subsection, or such
subsequent date as may be provided by the secretary of state by rule,
consistent with the purposes of this subsection, regardless of whether
the act has been reported to law enforcement.
Sec. 3 RCW 40.24.030 and 2001 c 28 s 2 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) An adult person, a parent or guardian acting on behalf of a
minor, or a guardian acting on behalf of an incapacitated person, as
defined in RCW 11.88.010, may apply to the secretary of state to have
an address designated by the secretary of state serve as the person's
address or the address of the minor or incapacitated person. The
secretary of state shall approve an application if it is filed in the
manner and on the form prescribed by the secretary of state and if it
contains:
(a) A sworn statement by the applicant that the applicant has good
reason to believe (i) that the applicant, or the minor or incapacitated
person on whose behalf the application is made, is a victim of domestic
violence, sexual assault, trafficking, or stalking; and (ii) that the
applicant fears for his or her safety or his or her children's safety,
or the safety of the minor or incapacitated person on whose behalf the
application is made;
(b) A designation of the secretary of state as agent for purposes
of service of process and for the purpose of receipt of mail;
(c) The mailing address where the applicant can be contacted by the
secretary of state, and the phone number or numbers where the applicant
can be called by the secretary of state;
(d) The new address or addresses that the applicant requests not be
disclosed for the reason that disclosure will increase the risk of
domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, or stalking;
(e) The signature of the applicant and of any individual or
representative of any office designated in writing under RCW 40.24.080
who assisted in the preparation of the application, and the date on
which the applicant signed the application.
(2) Applications shall be filed with the office of the secretary of
state.
(3) Upon filing a properly completed application, the secretary of
state shall certify the applicant as a program participant. Applicants
shall be certified for four years following the date of filing unless
the certification is withdrawn or invalidated before that date. The
secretary of state shall by rule establish a renewal procedure.
(4) A person who falsely attests in an application that disclosure
of the applicant's address would endanger the applicant's safety or the
safety of the applicant's children or the minor or incapacitated person
on whose behalf the application is made, or who knowingly provides
false or incorrect information upon making an application, shall be
punishable under RCW 40.16.030 or other applicable statutes.
Sec. 4 RCW 40.24.080 and 2001 c 28 s 3 are each amended to read
as follows:
The secretary of state shall designate state and local agencies and
nonprofit agencies that provide counseling and shelter services to
victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, or stalking
to assist persons applying to be program participants. Any assistance
and counseling rendered by the office of the secretary of state or its
designees to applicants shall in no way be construed as legal advice.