Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a bill Friday, April 11, that will require sexually violent predators to wear GPS monitors.
House Bill 1457 is a bipartisan bill sponsored by the two House representatives from Allyn, Rep. Dan Griffey and Rep. Travis Couture, along with Rep. Marie Leavitt, D-University Place. The new law requires that Washington courts mandate sexually violent predators wear GPS ankle monitors when released from McNeil Island into less restrictive alternative community housing whenever possible.
“These predators are dangerous,” Griffey said. “We need these tools for law enforcement to protect communities and so survivors can know when somehow who has harmed them is near and act accordingly to protect themselves.”
According to a news release from House Republicans, the GPS monitors track offenders 24/7, are tamper-proof and send immediate alerts to law enforcement and survivors who opt in.
“By requiring electronic monitoring of sexually violent predators placed in less restrictive settings, we’re ensuring that families and neighborhoods have the peace of mind they deserve.” Leavitt said. “This law is a commonsense step to strengthen accountability and protect the public.”
House Republicans sponsored another bill this session that would have implemented broader reform to the less restrictive alternative housing process used for sexually violent offenders. Griffey and Couture say that bill would have provided more transparency around the process.
“But let’s be clear-this is one step,” said Couture. “The entire SVP system is broken, from weak treatment programs to lack of oversight and zero accountability when predators are placed near kids. We are in this fight for the long haul.”
House Bill 1451 was read into the record at the beginning of the session but didn’t receive a hearing in the House Community Safety Committee. Couture and Griffey said that bill would have banned sexually violent predators from selecting their own housing and instead would require state ownership and oversight of the housing.
