SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 6294
As Reported By Senate Committee On:
Human Services & Corrections, February 6, 2002
Title: An act relating to sex offender community notification in languages other than English.
Brief Description: Requiring sex offender community notification in foreign languages.
Sponsors: Senators T. Sheldon, Costa, Shin, Fairley, Regala, Kline, Keiser, Gardner, Hargrove, Haugen, Kastama, Prentice, McAuliffe and Jacobsen.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Human Services & Corrections: 1/23/02, 2/6/02 [DPS].
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES & CORRECTIONS
Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6294 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.
Signed by Senators Hargrove, Chair; Costa, Vice Chair; Carlson, Franklin, Hewitt, Kastama, Kohl‑Welles, Long and Stevens.
Staff: Tony Rugel (786‑7754)
Background: Some geographic areas of the state may contain significant populations for whom English is not the primary language. It is difficult for these populations to be effectively notified of a sex offender's presence when the sheriff produces level III community notification flyers.
Summary of Substitute Bill: The sheriff may produce level III community notification flyers in languages other than English upon request.
Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: The original bill required the sheriff to produce level III community notification in foreign languages. The proposed substitute bill makes this notification discretionary.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: January 18, 2002.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect on July 1, 2003.
Testimony For: None.
Testimony Against: The intent of the bill is right but the bill as written would be too difficult to implement. The difficulties would be: knowing which languages to print the notifications in; finding interpreters; and knowing when and where to do the notifications.
Testified: Joseph Beard, Snohomish County Sheriff's Office (con); Larry Erickson, Wash. Assoc. of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (con).