Passed by the Senate February 12, 2014 YEAS 48   ________________________________________ President of the Senate Passed by the House March 5, 2014 YEAS 83   ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives | I, Hunter G. Goodman, 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. ________________________________________ Secretary | |
Approved ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | Secretary of State State of Washington |
State of Washington | 63rd Legislature | 2014 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/07/14.
AN ACT Relating to coercion of involuntary servitude; reenacting and amending RCW 9A.40.010; adding a new section to chapter 9A.40 RCW; and prescribing penalties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 A new section is added to chapter 9A.40 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) A person is guilty of coercion of involuntary servitude if he
or she coerces, as defined in RCW 9A.36.070, another person to perform
labor or services by:
(a) Withholding or threatening to withhold or destroy documents
relating to a person's immigration status; or
(b) Threatening to notify law enforcement officials that a person
is present in the United States in violation of federal immigration
laws.
(2) Coercion does not include reports to law enforcement that a
person is present in the United States in violation of federal
immigration laws.
(3) A person may commit coercion of involuntary servitude
regardless of whether the person provides any sort of compensation or
benefits to the person who is coerced.
(4) Coercion of involuntary servitude is a class C felony.
Sec. 2 RCW 9A.40.010 and 2011 c 336 s 363 and 2011 c 111 s 2 are
each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
The following definitions apply in this chapter:
(1) "Abduct" means to restrain a person by either (a) secreting or
holding him or her in a place where he or she is not likely to be
found, or (b) using or threatening to use deadly force.
(2) "Commercial sex act" means any act of sexual contact or sexual
intercourse for which something of value is given or received.
(3) "Forced labor" means knowingly providing or obtaining labor or
services of a person by: (a) Threats of serious harm to, or physical
restraint against, that person or another person; or (b) means of any
scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause the person to believe that,
if the person did not perform such labor or services, that person or
another person would suffer serious harm or physical restraint.
(4) "Involuntary servitude" means a condition of servitude in which
the victim was forced to work by the use or threat of physical
restraint or physical injury, ((or)) by the use of threat of coercion
through law or legal process, or as set forth in section 1 of this act.
For the purposes of this subsection, "coercion" has the same meaning as
provided in RCW 9A.36.070.
(5) "Relative" means an ancestor, descendant, or sibling, including
a relative of the same degree through marriage or adoption, or a
spouse.
(6) "Restrain" means to restrict a person's movements without
consent and without legal authority in a manner which interferes
substantially with his or her liberty. Restraint is "without consent"
if it is accomplished by (a) physical force, intimidation, or
deception, or (b) any means including acquiescence of the victim, if he
or she is a child less than sixteen years old or an incompetent person
and if the parent, guardian, or other person or institution having
lawful control or custody of him or her has not acquiesced.
(7) "Serious harm" means any harm, whether physical or nonphysical,
including psychological, financial, or reputational harm, that is
sufficiently serious, under all the surrounding circumstances, to
compel a reasonable person of the same background and in the same
circumstances to perform or to continue performing labor, services, or
a commercial sex act in order to avoid incurring that harm.