Assaulting outreach workers

AN ACT Relating to criminal penalties for assaulting outreach 1
workers; amending RCW 9A.36.031; and prescribing penalties.2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
Sec. 1. RCW 9A.36.031 and 2024 c 220 s 1 are each amended to 4
read as follows: 5
(1) A person is guilty of assault in the third degree if he or 6
she, under circumstances not amounting to assault in the first or 7
second degree: 8
(a) With intent to prevent or resist the execution of any lawful 9
process or mandate of any court officer or the lawful apprehension or 10
detention of himself, herself, or another person, assaults another; 11
or 12
(b) Assaults a person employed as a transit operator or driver, 13
the immediate supervisor of a transit operator or driver, a mechanic, 14
or a security officer, by a public or private transit company or a 15
contracted transit service provider, while that person is performing 16
his or her official duties at the time of the assault; or17
(c) Assaults a school bus driver, the immediate supervisor of a 18
driver, a mechanic, or a security officer, employed by a school 19
district transportation service or a private company under contract 20
for transportation services with a school district, while the person 21
S-1090.1
SENATE BILL 5646
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Harris, Cleveland, and Hasegawa
Read first time 02/03/25. Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.
p. 1 SB 5646
is performing his or her official duties at the time of the assault; 1
or 2
(d) With criminal negligence, causes bodily harm to another 3
person by means of a weapon or other instrument or thing likely to 4
produce bodily harm; or 5
(e) Assaults a firefighter or other employee of a fire 6
department, county fire marshal's office, county fire prevention 7
bureau, or fire protection district who was performing his or her 8
official duties at the time of the assault; or 9
(f) With criminal negligence, causes bodily harm accompanied by 10
substantial pain that extends for a period sufficient to cause 11
considerable suffering; or 12
(g) Assaults a law enforcement officer or other employee of a law 13
enforcement agency who was performing his or her official duties at 14
the time of the assault; or 15
(h) Assaults a peace officer with a projectile stun gun; or16
(i) Assaults a nurse, physician, or health care provider who was 17
performing his or her nursing or health care duties at the time of 18
the assault. For purposes of this subsection: "Nurse" means a person 19
licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW; "physician" means a person licensed 20
under chapter 18.57 or 18.71 RCW; and "health care provider" means a 21
person certified under chapter 18.71 or 18.73 RCW who performs 22
emergency medical services or a person regulated under Title 18 RCW 23
and employed by, or contracting with, a hospital licensed under 24
chapter 70.41 RCW; or 25
(j) Assaults a judicial officer, court-related employee, county 26
clerk, or county clerk's employee, while that person is performing 27
his or her official duties at the time of the assault or as a result 28
of that person's employment within the judicial system. For purposes 29
of this subsection, "court-related employee" includes bailiffs, court 30
reporters, judicial assistants, court managers, court managers' 31
employees, and any other employee, regardless of title, who is 32
engaged in equivalent functions; or 33
(k) Assaults a person located in a courtroom, jury room, judge's 34
chamber, or any waiting area or corridor immediately adjacent to a 35
courtroom, jury room, or judge's chamber. This section shall apply 36
only: (i) During the times when a courtroom, jury room, or judge's 37
chamber is being used for judicial purposes during court proceedings; 38
and (ii) if signage was posted in compliance with RCW 2.28.200 at the 39
time of the assault; or 40
p. 2 SB 5646
(l) Is a licensed health care provider who implants or causes 1
another to implant the provider's own gametes or reproductive 2
material into a patient during an assisted reproduction procedure. 3
For the purposes of this subsection, "gamete" means sperm, egg, or 4
any part of a sperm or egg, and "reproductive material" means a human 5
gamete or a human organism at any stage of development from 6
fertilized ovum to embryo; or7
(m) Assaults a person employed as an outreach worker while that 8
person is performing his or her official duties at the time of the 9
assault. For purposes of this subsection, "outreach worker" means a 10
person who performs services for and is employed by, or contracting 11
with, a social service agency or government organization. Outreach 12
workers often work with vulnerable populations, such as the homeless, 13
runaway youth, and victims of abuse. Outreach workers conduct needs 14
assessments to identify client living conditions and possible support 15
systems. Outreach workers' work may be in homes, shelters, or street 16
encampments. 17
(2) Assault in the third degree is a class C felony.18
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p. 3 SB 5646