Sentencing guidelines commn.

AN ACT Relating to including legislative members in the voting 1
membership of the sentencing guidelines commission; and amending RCW 2
9.94A.860. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 9.94A.860 and 2023 c 241 s 1 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1) The sentencing guidelines commission is hereby created, 7
located within the office of financial management. Except as provided 8
in RCW 9.94A.875, the commission shall serve to advise the governor 9
and the legislature as necessary on issues relating to adult and 10
juvenile sentencing. The commission may meet, as necessary, to 11
accomplish these purposes within funds appropriated.12
(2)(a) The commission consists of ((25)) 29 voting members, one 13
of whom the governor shall designate as chair. 14
(b) With the exception of ex officio and legislative voting 15
members, the voting members of the commission shall be appointed by 16
the governor, or his or her designee, subject to confirmation by the 17
senate. 18
(c) The speaker of the house of representatives and the president 19
of the senate shall each appoint two legislative voting members to 20
the commission, one from each of the two largest caucuses in each 21
H-0892.1
HOUSE BILL 1801
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Graham, Burnett, and Griffey
Read first time 02/03/25. Referred to Committee on Community Safety.
p. 1 HB 1801
house. The members so appointed shall serve two-year terms, or until 1
they cease to be members of the house from which they were appointed, 2
whichever occurs first. 3
(3) The voting membership consists of the following:4
(a) The head of the state agency having general responsibility 5
for adult correction programs, as an ex officio member;6
(b) The director of financial management or designee, as an ex 7
officio member; 8
(c) The chair of the indeterminate sentence review board, as an 9
ex officio member; 10
(d) The head of the state agency, or the agency head's designee, 11
having responsibility for juvenile corrections programs, as an ex 12
officio member; 13
(e) Two prosecuting attorneys; 14
(f) Two attorneys with particular expertise in defense work;15
(g) Four persons who are superior court judges;16
(h) One person who is the chief law enforcement officer of a 17
county or city; 18
(i) Five members of the public who are not prosecutors, defense 19
attorneys, judges, or law enforcement officers, one of whom is a 20
victim of crime, one of whom is a victim of crime or a crime victims' 21
advocate, and one of whom has been formerly incarcerated in the state 22
correctional system; 23
(j) One person who is an elected official of a county government, 24
other than a prosecuting attorney or sheriff; 25
(k) One person who is an elected official of a city government;26
(l) One person who is an administrator of juvenile court 27
services; 28
(m) The chair of the state supreme court minority and justice 29
commission or designee, as an ex officio member; 30
(n) One person representing the interests of tribes;31
(o) One behavioral health professional with experience working in 32
the criminal justice system; ((and))33
(p) One person with knowledge of and expertise in academic 34
research in the field of criminology or sociology; and35
(q) Four state legislators, one from each of the two largest 36
caucuses in each house. 37
In making the appointments, the governor shall endeavor to assure 38
that the commission membership includes adequate representation and 39
expertise relating to both the adult criminal justice system and the 40
p. 2 HB 1801
juvenile justice system. In making the appointments, the governor 1
shall seek the recommendations of Washington prosecutors in respect 2
to the prosecuting attorney members, of the Washington state bar 3
association in respect to the defense attorney members, of the 4
superior court judges' association in respect to the members who are 5
judges, of the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs 6
in respect to the member who is a law enforcement officer, of the 7
Washington state association of counties in respect to the member who 8
is a county official, of the association of Washington cities in 9
respect to the member who is a city official, of the office of crime 10
victims advocacy and other organizations of crime victims in respect 11
to the member who is a victim of crime or a crime victims' advocate, 12
of the Washington association of juvenile court administrators in 13
respect to the member who is an administrator of juvenile court 14
services, and of the Washington state institute for public policy and 15
the relevant departments of the Washington State University and 16
University of Washington in respect to the member with knowledge of 17
and expertise in academic research in the field of criminology or 18
sociology. 19
(4)(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, all voting 20
members of the commission, except ex officio and legislative voting 21
members, shall serve terms of three years and until their successors 22
are appointed and confirmed. 23
(b) The governor shall stagger the initial terms of the members 24
appointed under subsection (3)(n), (o), and (p) of this section by 25
appointing one of them for a term of one year, one of them for a term 26
of two years, and one of them for a term of three years.27
(5) ((The speaker of the house of representatives and the 28
president of the senate may each appoint two nonvoting members to the 29
commission, one from each of the two largest caucuses in each house. 30
The members so appointed shall serve two-year terms, or until they 31
cease to be members of the house from which they were appointed, 32
whichever occurs first.33
(6))) The members of the commission may be reimbursed for travel 34
expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060. Legislative 35
members may be reimbursed by their respective houses as provided 36
under RCW 44.04.120. Except for the reimbursement of travel expenses, 37
members shall not be compensated. 38
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p. 3 HB 1801