Sex offender reg. compliance

AN ACT Relating to requiring certain persons to be in full 1
compliance with sex offender and kidnapping offender registration 2
requirements in order to be relieved of the duty to register; and 3
amending RCW 9A.44.140, 9A.44.141, and 9A.44.142. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
Sec. 1. RCW 9A.44.140 and 2023 c 150 s 7 are each amended to 6
read as follows: 7
The duty to register under RCW 9A.44.130 shall continue for the 8
duration provided in this section. 9
(1) For an adult convicted in this state of a class A felony, or 10
an adult convicted of any sex offense or kidnapping offense who has 11
one or more prior convictions for a sex offense or kidnapping 12
offense, the duty to register shall continue indefinitely.13
(2) For an adult convicted in this state of a class B felony who 14
does not have one or more prior convictions for a sex offense or 15
kidnapping offense, the duty to register shall end ((fifteen)) 15 16
years after the last date of release from confinement, if any, 17
(including full-time residential treatment) pursuant to the 18
conviction, or entry of the judgment and sentence, if the adult has 19
spent ((fifteen)) 15 consecutive years in the community without being 20
H-2766.1
HOUSE BILL 2506
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives McClintock, Reeves, and Barnard
Read first time 01/15/26. Referred to Committee on Community Safety.
p. 1 HB 2506
convicted of a disqualifying offense during that time period and has 1
been in full compliance with RCW 9A.44.130 during that time period.2
(3) For an adult convicted in this state of a class C felony, a 3
violation of RCW 9.68A.090 or 9A.44.096, or an attempt, solicitation, 4
or conspiracy to commit a class C felony, and the adult does not have 5
one or more prior convictions for a sex offense or kidnapping 6
offense, the duty to register shall end ((ten)) 10 years after the 7
last date of release from confinement, if any, (including full-time 8
residential treatment) pursuant to the conviction, or entry of the 9
judgment and sentence, if the adult has spent ((ten)) 10 consecutive 10
years in the community without being convicted of a disqualifying 11
offense during that time period and has been in full compliance with 12
RCW 9A.44.130 during that time period. 13
(4)(a) For a person required to register under RCW 14
9A.44.130(1)(b), the duty to register will end three years after the 15
last date of release from confinement, including full-time 16
residential treatment, if any, or entry of disposition if the person 17
is required to register for a class A offense committed at age 15, 18
16, or 17. 19
(b) For a person required to register under RCW 9A.44.130(1)(b) 20
who does not meet the description provided in ((subsection (4)(a) of 21
this section [ (a) of this subsection] )) (a) of this subsection , the 22
duty to register will end two years after the last date of release 23
from confinement, including full-time residential treatment, if any, 24
or entry of disposition. 25
(5) Except as provided in RCW 9A.44.142, for a person required to 26
register for a federal, tribal, or out-of-state conviction, the duty 27
to register shall continue indefinitely. 28
(6) For a person who is or has been determined to be a sexually 29
violent predator pursuant to chapter 71.09 RCW, the duty to register 30
shall continue for the person's lifetime. 31
(7) Nothing in this section prevents a person from being relieved 32
of the duty to register under RCW 9A.44.142, 9A.44.143, and 33
13.40.162. 34
(8) Nothing in RCW 9.94A.637 relating to discharge of an offender 35
shall be construed as operating to relieve the offender of his or her 36
duty to register pursuant to RCW 9A.44.130. 37
(9) For purposes of determining whether a person has been 38
convicted of more than one sex offense, failure to register as a sex 39
offender or kidnapping offender is not a sex or kidnapping offense.40
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(10) The provisions of this section and RCW 9A.44.141 through 1
9A.44.143 apply equally to a person who has been found not guilty by 2
reason of insanity under chapter 10.77 RCW of a sex offense or 3
kidnapping offense. 4
Sec. 2. RCW 9A.44.141 and 2015 c 261 s 7 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1) Upon the request of a person who is listed in the Washington 7
state patrol central registry of sex offenders and kidnapping 8
offenders, the county sheriff shall investigate whether a person's 9
duty to register has ended by operation of law pursuant to RCW 10
9A.44.140. 11
(a) Using available records, the county sheriff shall verify that 12
the offender has spent the requisite time in the community ((and)), 13
has not been convicted of a disqualifying offense , and has been in 14
full compliance with RCW 9A.44.130. 15
(b) If the county sheriff determines the person's duty to 16
register has ended by operation of law, the county sheriff shall 17
request the Washington state patrol remove the person's name from the 18
central registry. 19
(2) Nothing in this subsection prevents a county sheriff from 20
investigating, upon his or her own initiative, whether a person's 21
duty to register has ended by operation of law pursuant to RCW 22
9A.44.140. 23
(3)(a) A person who is listed in the central registry as the 24
result of a federal, tribal, or out-of-state conviction may request 25
the county sheriff to investigate whether the person should be 26
removed from the registry if: 27
(i) A court or other administrative authority in the person's 28
state of conviction has made an individualized determination that the 29
person is not required to register; and 30
(ii) The person provides proof of relief from registration to the 31
county sheriff. 32
(b) If the county sheriff determines the person has been relieved 33
of the duty to register in his or her state of conviction, the county 34
sheriff shall request the Washington state patrol remove the person's 35
name from the central registry. 36
(4) An appointed or elected public official, public employee, or 37
public agency as defined in RCW 4.24.470, or units of local 38
government and its employees, as provided in RCW 36.28A.010, are 39
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immune from civil liability for damages for removing or requesting 1
the removal of a person from the central registry of sex offenders 2
and kidnapping offenders or the failure to remove or request removal 3
of a person within the time frames provided in RCW 9A.44.140.4
Sec. 3. RCW 9A.44.142 and 2017 c 86 s 1 are each amended to read 5
as follows: 6
(1) A person who is required to register under RCW 9A.44.130 may 7
petition the superior court to be relieved of the duty to register:8
(a) If the person has a duty to register for a sex offense or 9
kidnapping offense committed when the offender was a juvenile, 10
regardless of whether the conviction was in this state, as provided 11
in RCW 9A.44.143; 12
(b) If the person is required to register for a conviction in 13
this state and is not prohibited from petitioning for relief from 14
registration under subsection (2) of this section, when the person 15
has spent ((ten)) 10 consecutive years in the community without being 16
convicted of a disqualifying offense during that time period and has 17
been in full compliance with RCW 9A.44.130 during that time period ; 18
or 19
(c) If the person is required to register for a federal, tribal, 20
or out-of-state conviction, when the person has spent ((fifteen)) 15 21
consecutive years in the community without being convicted of a 22
disqualifying offense during that time period and has been in full 23
compliance with RCW 9A.44.130 during that time period.24
(2)(a) A person may not petition for relief from registration if 25
the person has been: 26
(i) Determined to be a sexually violent predator pursuant to 27
chapter 71.09 RCW; or 28
(ii) Convicted as an adult of a sex offense or kidnapping offense 29
that is a class A felony and that was committed with forcible 30
compulsion on or after June 8, 2000. 31
(b) Any person who may not be relieved of the duty to register 32
may petition the court to be exempted from any community notification 33
requirements that the person may be subject to ((fifteen)) 15 years 34
after the later of the entry of the judgment and sentence or the last 35
date of release from confinement, including full-time residential 36
treatment, pursuant to the conviction, if the person has spent the 37
time in the community without being convicted of a disqualifying 38
offense and has spent the time in full compliance with RCW 9A.44.130.39
p. 4 HB 2506
(3) A petition for relief from registration or exemption from 1
notification under this section shall be made to the court in which 2
the petitioner was convicted of the offense that subjects him or her 3
to the duty to register or, in the case of convictions in other 4
states, a foreign country, or a federal, tribal, or military court, 5
to the court in the county where the person is registered at the time 6
the petition is sought. The prosecuting attorney of the county shall 7
be named and served as the respondent in any such petition. The 8
prosecuting attorney must make reasonable efforts to notify the 9
victim via the victim's choice of telephone, letter, or email, if 10
known. 11
(4)(a) The court may relieve a petitioner of the duty to register 12
only if the petitioner shows by clear and convincing evidence that 13
the petitioner is sufficiently rehabilitated to warrant removal from 14
the central registry of sex offenders and kidnapping offenders.15
(b) In determining whether the petitioner is sufficiently 16
rehabilitated to warrant removal from the registry, the following 17
factors are provided as guidance to assist the court in making its 18
determination: 19
(i) The nature of the registrable offense committed including the 20
number of victims and the length of the offense history;21
(ii) Any subsequent criminal history; 22
(iii) The petitioner's compliance with supervision requirements;23
(iv) The length of time since the charged incident(s) occurred;24
(v) Any input from community corrections officers, law 25
enforcement, or treatment providers; 26
(vi) Participation in sex offender treatment; 27
(vii) Participation in other treatment and rehabilitative 28
programs; 29
(viii) The offender's stability in employment and housing;30
(ix) The offender's community and personal support system;31
(x) Any risk assessments or evaluations prepared by a qualified 32
professional; 33
(xi) Any updated polygraph examination; 34
(xii) Any input of the victim; 35
(xiii) Any other factors the court may consider relevant.36
(5) If a person is relieved of the duty to register pursuant to 37
this section, the relief of registration does not constitute a 38
certificate of rehabilitation, or the equivalent of a certificate of 39
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rehabilitation, for the purposes of restoration of firearm possession 1
under RCW 9.41.040. 2
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