H-4091              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1974

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By Representatives van Dyke, Dobbs and Fuhrman

Read first time 1/24/86 and referred to Committee on Judiciary.

AN ACT Relating to expediting death penalty reviews; and amending RCW 10.95.150.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 15, chapter 138, Laws of 1981 and RCW 10.95.150 are each amended to read as follows:

          In all cases in which a sentence of death has been imposed, the appeal, if any, and sentence review to or by the supreme court of Washington shall be decided and an opinion on the merits shall be filed within ((one year)) nine months of receipt by the clerk of the supreme court of Washington of the verbatim report of proceedings and clerk's papers filed under RCW 10.95.110.  If this time requirement is not met, the chief justice of the supreme court of Washington shall state on the record the extraordinary and compelling circumstances causing the delay and the facts supporting such circumstances.  A failure to comply with the time requirements of this subsection shall in no way preclude the ultimate execution of a sentence of death.