READ FIRST TIME 04/15/13.   

     AN ACT Relating to reducing corrections costs; amending RCW 9.94A.517, 9.94A.729, 70.48.130, and 9.92.151; adding a new section to chapter 70.41 RCW; creating new sections; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 9.94A.517 and 2002 c 290 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1)

Sec. 2   RCW 9.94A.729 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 40 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1)(a) The term of the sentence of an offender committed to a correctional facility operated by the department may be reduced by earned release time in accordance with procedures that shall be developed and adopted by the correctional agency having jurisdiction in which the offender is confined. The earned release time shall be for good behavior and good performance, as determined by the correctional agency having jurisdiction. The correctional agency shall not credit the offender with earned release credits in advance of the offender actually earning the credits.
     (b) Any program established pursuant to this section shall allow an offender to earn early release credits for presentence incarceration. If an offender is transferred from a county jail to the department, the administrator of a county jail facility shall certify to the department the amount of time spent in custody at the facility and the ((amount)) number of days of ((earned)) early release ((time)) credits lost or not earned. The department may approve a jail certification from a correctional agency that calculates ((earned)) early release time based on the actual amount of confinement time served by the offender before sentencing when an erroneous calculation of confinement time served by the offender before sentencing appears on the judgment and sentence. The department must adjust an offender's rate of early release listed on the jail certification to be consistent with the rate applicable to offenders in the department's facilities. However, the department is not authorized to adjust the number of presentence early release days that the jail has certified as lost or not earned.
     (2) An offender who has been convicted of a felony committed after July 23, 1995, that involves any applicable deadly weapon enhancements under RCW 9.94A.533 (3) or (4), or both, shall not receive any good time credits or earned release time for that portion of his or her sentence that results from any deadly weapon enhancements.
     (3) An offender may earn early release time as follows:
     (a) In the case of an offender convicted of a serious violent offense, or a sex offense that is a class A felony, committed on or after July 1, 1990, and before July 1, 2003, the aggregate earned release time may not exceed fifteen percent of the sentence.
     (b) In the case of an offender convicted of a serious violent offense, or a sex offense that is a class A felony, committed on or after July 1, 2003, the aggregate earned release time may not exceed ten percent of the sentence.
     (c) An offender is qualified to earn up to fifty percent of aggregate earned release time if he or she:
     (i) Is not classified as an offender who is at a high risk to reoffend as provided in subsection (4) of this section;
     (ii) Is not confined pursuant to a sentence for:
     (A) A sex offense;
     (B) A violent offense;
     (C) A crime against persons as defined in RCW 9.94A.411;
     (D) A felony that is domestic violence as defined in RCW 10.99.020;
     (E) A violation of RCW 9A.52.025 (residential burglary);
     (F) A violation of, or an attempt, solicitation, or conspiracy to violate, RCW 69.50.401 by manufacture or delivery or possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine; or
     (G) A violation of, or an attempt, solicitation, or conspiracy to violate, RCW 69.50.406 (delivery of a controlled substance to a minor);
     (iii) Has no prior conviction for the offenses listed in (c)(ii) of this subsection;
     (iv) Participates in programming or activities as directed by the offender's individual reentry plan as provided under RCW 72.09.270 to the extent that such programming or activities are made available by the department; and
     (v) Has not committed a new felony after July 22, 2007, while under community custody.
     (d) In no other case shall the aggregate earned release time exceed one-third of the total sentence.
     (4) The department shall perform a risk assessment of each offender who may qualify for earned early release under subsection (3)(c) of this section utilizing the risk assessment tool recommended by the Washington state institute for public policy. Subsection (3)(c) of this section does not apply to offenders convicted after July 1, 2010.
     (5)(a) A person who is eligible for earned early release as provided in this section and who will be supervised by the department pursuant to RCW 9.94A.501 or 9.94A.5011, shall be transferred to community custody in lieu of earned release time;
     (b) The department shall, as a part of its program for release to the community in lieu of earned release, require the offender to propose a release plan that includes an approved residence and living arrangement. All offenders with community custody terms eligible for release to community custody in lieu of earned release shall provide an approved residence and living arrangement prior to release to the community;
     (c) The department may deny transfer to community custody in lieu of earned release time if the department determines an offender's release plan, including proposed residence location and living arrangements, may violate the conditions of the sentence or conditions of supervision, place the offender at risk to violate the conditions of the sentence, place the offender at risk to reoffend, or present a risk to victim safety or community safety. The department's authority under this section is independent of any court-ordered condition of sentence or statutory provision regarding conditions for community custody;
     (d) If the department is unable to approve the offender's release plan, the department may do one or more of the following:
     (i) Transfer an offender to partial confinement in lieu of earned early release for a period not to exceed three months. The three months in partial confinement is in addition to that portion of the offender's term of confinement that may be served in partial confinement as provided in RCW 9.94A.728(5);
     (ii) Provide rental vouchers to the offender for a period not to exceed three months if rental assistance will result in an approved release plan. The voucher must be provided in conjunction with additional transition support programming or services that enable an offender to participate in services including, but not limited to, substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, sex offender treatment, educational programming, or employment programming;
     (e) For each offender who is the recipient of a rental voucher, the department shall include, concurrent with the data that the department otherwise obtains and records, the housing status of the offender for the duration of the offender's supervision.
     (6) An offender serving a term of confinement imposed under RCW 9.94A.670(5)(a) is not eligible for earned release credits under this section.

Sec. 3   RCW 70.48.130 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 15 s 85 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) It is the intent of the legislature that all jail inmates receive appropriate and cost-effective emergency and necessary medical care. Governing units, the health care authority, and medical care providers shall cooperate to achieve the best rates consistent with adequate care.
     (2) Payment for emergency or necessary health care shall be by the governing unit, except that the health care authority shall directly reimburse the provider pursuant to chapter 74.09 RCW, in accordance with the rates and benefits established by the authority, if the confined person is eligible under the authority's medical care programs as authorized under chapter 74.09 RCW. After payment by the authority, the financial responsibility for any remaining balance, including unpaid client liabilities that are a condition of eligibility or participation under chapter 74.09 RCW, shall be borne by the medical care provider and the governing unit as may be mutually agreed upon between the medical care provider and the governing unit. In the absence of mutual agreement between the medical care provider and the governing unit, the financial responsibility for any remaining balance shall be borne equally between the medical care provider and the governing unit. Total payments from all sources to providers for care rendered to confined persons ((eligible under chapter 74.09 RCW)) shall not exceed the amounts that would be paid by the authority for similar services provided under Title XIX medicaid, unless additional resources are obtained from the confined person.
     (3) Providers of hospital services that are hospitals licensed under chapter 70.41 RCW shall contract with a correctional facility for inpatient, outpatient, and ancillary services if deemed appropriate by the correctional facility. Except in a county in which there are (1) a single hospital with which the local correctional facilities may contract and with a state correctional facility housing more than one thousand five hundred offenders; (2) two hospitals with which the local correctional facilities may contract and with a state correctional facility housing more than two thousand offenders, the correctional facility may only reimburse a provider of hospital services at a rate no more than the amount payable under the medicaid reimbursement structure, plus any additional amount provided specifically for this purpose in the state omnibus appropriations act, regardless of whether the hospital is located within or outside of Washington. In a county in which there is a single hospital with which the local correctional facilities may contract and with a state correctional facility housing more than one thousand five hundred offenders or in a county in which there are two hospitals with the local correctional facilities may contract and with a state correctional facility housing more than two thousand offenders, the department of corrections shall pay the difference between the medicaid reimbursement and the amount agreed to by the correctional facility and the provider of hospital services. A correctional facility may participate, at the correctional facility's expense, in the provider one system operated by the Washington state health care authority for payment of hospital services through a process coordinated by the department of corrections pursuant to this section.
     (4) As part of the screening process upon booking or preparation of an inmate into jail, general information concerning the inmate's ability to pay for medical care shall be identified, including insurance or other medical benefits or resources to which an inmate is entitled. This information shall be made available to the authority, the governing unit, and any provider of health care services.
     (((4))) (5) The governing unit or provider may obtain reimbursement from the confined person for the cost of health care services not provided under chapter 74.09 RCW, including reimbursement from any insurance program or from other medical benefit programs available to the confined person. Nothing in this chapter precludes civil or criminal remedies to recover the costs of medical care provided jail inmates or paid for on behalf of inmates by the governing unit. As part of a judgment and sentence, the courts are authorized to order defendants to repay all or part of the medical costs incurred by the governing unit or provider during confinement.
     (((5))) (6) To the extent that a confined person is unable to be financially responsible for medical care and is ineligible for the authority's medical care programs under chapter 74.09 RCW, or for coverage from private sources, and in the absence of an interlocal agreement or other contracts to the contrary, the governing unit may obtain reimbursement for the cost of such medical services from the unit of government whose law enforcement officers initiated the charges on which the person is being held in the jail: PROVIDED, That reimbursement for the cost of such services shall be by the state for state prisoners being held in a jail who are accused of either escaping from a state facility or of committing an offense in a state facility.
     (((6))) (7) There shall be no right of reimbursement to the governing unit from units of government whose law enforcement officers initiated the charges for which a person is being held in the jail for care provided after the charges are disposed of by sentencing or otherwise, unless by intergovernmental agreement pursuant to chapter 39.34 RCW.
     (((7))) (8) Under no circumstance shall necessary medical services be denied or delayed because of disputes over the cost of medical care or a determination of financial responsibility for payment of the costs of medical care provided to confined persons.
     (((8))) (9) Nothing in this section shall limit any existing right of any party, governing unit, or unit of government against the person receiving the care for the cost of the care provided.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   A new section is added to chapter 70.41 RCW to read as follows:
     As a condition of licensure, a hospital must contract with a correctional facility as defined in RCW 70.48.020.

Sec. 5   RCW 9.92.151 and 2009 c 28 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the sentence of a prisoner confined in a county jail facility for a felony, gross misdemeanor, or misdemeanor conviction may be reduced by earned release credits in accordance with procedures that shall be developed and promulgated by the correctional agency having jurisdiction. The earned early release time shall be for good behavior and good performance as determined by the correctional agency having jurisdiction. Any program established pursuant to this section shall allow an offender to earn early release credits for presentence incarceration. The correctional agency shall not credit the offender with earned early release credits in advance of the offender actually earning the credits. In the case of an offender convicted of a serious violent offense or a sex offense that is a class A felony committed on or after July 1, 1990, the aggregate earned early release time may not exceed fifteen percent of the sentence. In no other case may the aggregate earned early release time exceed one-third of the total sentence.
     (2) An offender serving a term of confinement imposed under RCW 9.94A.670(5)(a) is not eligible for earned release credits under this section.
     (3) If an offender is transferred from a county jail to the department, the administrator of a county jail facility shall certify to the department the amount of time spent in custody at the facility and the number of days of early release credits lost or not earned.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   Pursuant to RCW 9.94A.729, the department shall recalculate the earned release date for any offender currently serving a term in a facility or institution either operated by the state or utilized under contract. The earned release date shall be recalculated whether the offender is currently incarcerated or is sentenced after the effective date of this section, and regardless of the offender's date of offense. For offenders whose offense was committed prior to the effective date of this section, the recalculation shall not extend a term of incarceration beyond that to which an offender is currently subject.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7   The legislature declares that section 6 of this act does not create any liberty interest. The department is authorized to take the time reasonably necessary to complete the recalculations of section 6 of this act after the effective date of this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8   Section 1 of this act applies to sentences imposed on or after July 1, 2013, regardless of the date of offense.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 9   If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 10   Sections 1 and 2 and 5 through 7 of this act are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and take effect July 1, 2013.