(1)(a) At the earliest possible date, and in no event later than 30 days before conditional release, change of address for a person on conditional release, or unconditional discharge, except in the event of escape, the department of social and health services shall send written notice of conditional release, unconditional discharge, or escape, to the following:

(i) The chief of police of the city, if any, in which the person will reside or in which placement will be made under a less restrictive alternative;

(ii) The sheriff of the county in which the person will reside or in which placement will be made under a less restrictive alternative; and

(iii) The sheriff of the county where the person was last convicted of a sexually violent offense, if the department does not know where the person will reside.

The department shall notify the state patrol of the release of all sexually violent predators and that information shall be placed in the Washington crime information center for dissemination to all law enforcement.

(b) A return to total confinement or to a secure community transition facility pending revocation or modification proceedings is not considered a change of address for purposes of (a) of this subsection, and an additional community notification process is not required, unless conditional release is revoked under RCW 71.09.098 or the return lasts longer than 90 days.

(2) The same notice as required by subsection (1) of this section shall be sent to the following if such notice has been requested in writing about a specific person found to be a sexually violent predator under this chapter:

(a) The victim or victims of any sexually violent offenses for which the person was convicted in the past or the victim's next of kin if the crime was a homicide. "Next of kin" as used in this section means a person's spouse, parents, siblings, and children;

(b) Any witnesses who testified against the person in his or her commitment trial under RCW 71.09.060; and

(c) Any person specified in writing by the prosecuting agency.

Information regarding victims, next of kin, or witnesses requesting the notice, information regarding any other person specified in writing by the prosecuting agency to receive the notice, and the notice are confidential and shall not be available to the committed person.

(3) If a person committed as a sexually violent predator under this chapter escapes from a department of social and health services facility, the department shall immediately notify, by the most reasonable and expedient means available, the chief of police of the city and the sheriff of the county in which the committed person resided immediately before his or her commitment as a sexually violent predator, or immediately before his or her incarceration for his or her most recent offense. If previously requested, the department shall also notify the witnesses and the victims of the sexually violent offenses for which the person was convicted in the past or the victim's next of kin if the crime was a homicide. If the person is recaptured, the department shall send notice to the persons designated in this subsection as soon as possible but in no event later than two working days after the department learns of such recapture.

(4) If the victim or victims of any sexually violent offenses for which the person was convicted in the past or the victim's next of kin, or any witness is under the age of 16, the notice required by this section shall be sent to the parents or legal guardian of the child.

(5) The department of social and health services shall send the notices required by this chapter to the last address provided to the department by the requesting party. The requesting party shall furnish the department with a current address.

(6) Nothing in this section shall impose any liability upon a chief of police of a city or sheriff of a county for failing to request in writing a notice as provided in subsection (1) of this section.

Findings—2021 c 236: See note following RCW 71.09.020.

Effective date—2012 c 257: See note following RCW 2.70.020.