HB 2663
In CommitteeHouse
Domestic violence registry
Creating a domestic violence offense registry.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill establishes a public, searchable domestic violence offense registry for people convicted of serious or repeat domestic violence offenses. It requires courts to order registration, mandates the Washington State Patrol to maintain and publish registry information online, and sets rules for how long individuals must remain on the registry and how they may seek removal.
- Creates a public, searchable registry of people convicted of 'qualifying domestic violence offenses' — defined as felonies or non-felonies with prior domestic violence convictions.
- Requires courts to order registration upon conviction of a qualifying offense and notify the person in writing (e.g., on plea or sentencing forms).
- Requires courts to send judgment and sentence documents to the Washington State Patrol, which maintains the registry and posts information online, including name, date of birth, conviction details, address (by hundred block), and photo.
- Sets registration durations: indefinite for class A felonies, 15 years for class B felonies, and 10 years for other qualifying offenses — provided the person remains conviction-free in the community.
- Allows individuals to petition for removal after meeting time and rehabilitation criteria, with different timelines for juvenile offenses; courts must consider factors like rehabilitation, stability, and risk assessments.
- Requires people on the registry to notify the Washington State Patrol before changing their name and allows courts to deny name changes if it would interfere with law enforcement — except for marriage/divorce-related changes.
Who is affected
- People convicted of qualifying domestic violence offenses — Individuals convicted of qualifying domestic violence offenses (felonies or repeat non-felonies) must register and remain on the public registry for 10 to 15 years, or indefinitely for certain class A felonies.
- Registered individuals seeking removal — Can request removal from the registry after meeting time and rehabilitation criteria, or petition the court for early removal based on rehabilitation.
- General public — Can access the public registry to check for prior domestic violence convictions when making personal safety decisions, such as housing, childcare, or dating.
- Courts and court clerks — Must forward court judgment and sentence documents to the Washington State Patrol for inclusion in the registry; may be required to verify registration status for name change requests.
- Washington State Patrol — Must maintain and operate the searchable public registry website, verify registration periods, and respond to removal requests or court orders.
Pro/Con Analysis
Potential Benefits (5)
The public registry may empower individuals to make informed personal safety decisions—e.g., vetting childcare providers, romantic partners, or neighbors—potentially reducing exposure to repeat domestic violence offenses. The legislature explicitly frames this as a regulatory tool to prevent vicarious victimization, especially for children.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 2(3)Indefinite registration for class A felony domestic violence offenses reflects a strong public safety rationale for high-risk individuals, aligning with evidence that severe domestic violence perpetrators often reoffend. This may deter future offenses and provide long-term community awareness.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 5(1)(a)The requirement for courts to consider risk assessments and professional input in removal petitions introduces a rehabilitative framework that could reduce recidivism over time, especially if paired with evidence-based treatment and supervision.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 7(4)(b)(viii)The ability to petition for removal of overturned convictions from the registry provides a limited but meaningful corrective mechanism, reducing the risk of erroneous or unjust lifelong registration when convictions are vacated on innocence grounds.
Rights & LibertiesPeopleRef: Sec. 7(5)Fee waivers for low-income applicants seeking name changes (via qualified legal service providers) mitigate financial barriers to legal name changes, though this benefit is narrow and only applies to the name change process—not the registry itself.
FinancialRef: Sec. 10(5)
Potential Concerns (5)
The registry includes address by hundred block, which may enable neighborhood-level discrimination against registered individuals, potentially reducing housing availability and increasing housing instability for them. While not targeting landlords directly, the public nature of the registry may embolden informal screening practices that exclude registered individuals from rental housing.
HousingRef: Sec. 4(2)(d)The burden of proof for removal from the registry is high (clear and convincing evidence for adults, preponderance for juveniles), and the list of mitigating factors is non-exhaustive and left to judicial discretion. This creates procedural barriers to removal, especially for low-income individuals without legal representation, effectively extending registry duration beyond statutory minimums in practice.
Rights & LibertiesRef: Sec. 7(4)(a)The name change restriction — allowing courts to deny petitions if they find interference with law enforcement — grants broad discretion to judges and may disproportionately affect individuals seeking to change names for safety, gender identity, or cultural reasons, especially when combined with the 5-day advance notice requirement and mandatory reporting to WSP.
Rights & LibertiesRef: Sec. 9Publishing photographs and conviction details online may increase risk of vigilante violence, harassment, or doxxing against registered individuals, potentially undermining public safety for them and their households. While intended to protect the public, the design does not include safety warnings or safeguards for registered individuals.
Public SafetyRef: Sec. 4(2)(e)The registry operates independently of standard criminal punishment mechanisms (e.g., discharge under RCW 9.94A.637 does not remove registration), meaning individuals may remain on the registry long after completing their sentence, imposing ongoing civil disabilities without due process beyond the initial conviction.
Rights & LibertiesRef: Sec. 5(6)
Who Is Most Affected
Registered individuals face long-term public exposure, employment barriers, housing instability, and social stigma. While removal petitions exist, the high burden of proof and procedural hurdles make exit difficult, especially for low-income or mentally ill individuals.
Juveniles adjudicated for domestic violence face distinct timelines (2 years or 5 years depending on severity), but still risk long-term registration with limited due process, potentially harming future education and employment prospects.
The general public gains access to information that may support personal safety decisions, but may also overestimate risk due to incomplete context (e.g., no distinction between first-time vs. repeat offenses, or severity), leading to overreaction or discrimination.
Courts and clerks face added administrative duties (forwarding records, verifying registry status for name changes), but no new funding is allocated for these tasks, potentially straining local court resources.
WSP must build and maintain a new public website, verify registration periods, and process removal petitions—costs not quantified in the bill. While described as 'regulatory, not punitive,' implementation likely requires new staff and IT infrastructure.