The Washington State Law Library

1
The Washington State Law Library

• presents a brief overview of three Washington
  legislative history resources

• Welcome to our
  presentation
• (For your convenience, space bar advances slides)

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THE WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

• of RCW 9.56.030, Theft in the First Degree,
  Other than a Firearm, from the present back to
  1975

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The three Washington resources are

• In this presentation well look briefly at these
  three main resources
• There are additional resources we will review in
  another presentation

• Washington Session
• Laws
• Washington Final Legislative Reports
• Revised Code of Washington (RCW)

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The 2008 Revised Code of Washington (RCW)
volumes are located in the Main Reading Room
(MRR) of the Law Library at the Temple of Justice
in Olympia, WA

• Many public libraries also have a copy in their
  reference areas

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The 2008 RCW vol.8 (General Index) is the first
step in your research strategy.

• To locate materials in the RCW--in this case RCW
  9.56.030--the first step would be to review vol.
  8, the General Index to find Theft, First Degree

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Look in the 2008 General Index (vol. 8)

• Looking under THEFT, where the Index vol.
  says (See CRIMES)
• On the next slide in this same Index vol., we'll
  look at CRIMES and then Theft

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Found under CRIMES Theft, first degree, defined
elements

• located in RCW 9A.56.030

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Finding RCW 9A.56.030

• We begin our research in the 2008 main set
• Title 9A RCW is located in vol. 1

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2008 RCW vol.1

• This page and the next are the text of RCW
  9A.56.030, Theft in the First Degree, Other than
  Firearms

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Second page of 2008 RCW 9A.56.030

• This page contains the legislative notes
  following the RCW 9A.56.030text

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Is the 2008 RCW 9A.56.030 the most current
version?

• Has there been a new (post 2008) legislative
  session where RCW 9A.56.030 has been impacted?

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No post-2008 session yet
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To locate historical bill information, we
review the legislative history notations
following the 2008 (current) text of RCW
9A.56.030

• 2007 c 199 3 2005 c 212 2 1995 c 129 11
  (Initiative Measure No. 159) 1975 1st ex.s. c
  260 9A.56.030.

• Legislative history notations always
• follow the RCW text

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To work with the next resource, we need to
understand the ch. number notations.

• Translation of 2007 c199 3
• The 2007 Washington State Legislature passed a
  law (ch. 199 3), which impacted RCW 9A.56.030,
  Theft in the First Degree

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Now lets move on to the second legislative
resource

• The Laws of
• Washington

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Laws of Washington (session laws)

• This publication contains the text of the
  laws passed by the legislature and signed by the
  governor

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The 2007 Laws of Washington

• Ch. 199 3 added, other than a motor vehicle,
  making motor vehicle theft a separate crime from
  Theft in the First Degree
• In the 1995 session, we will also see theft of a
  firearm made into a separate crime

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Note the bill numbers Engrossed Third
Substitute House Bill 1001 following the CHAPTER
number

• Text of 2007 ch. 199
• Note the bill numbers They will be critical
  later

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In 2007, Theft of a motor vehicle is made a
separate crime

• Section 3 (1)(b) shows the change where Theft of
  a Motor Vehicle is added separately from Theft
  of Other Property
• FYI Theft of a Motor Vehicle is codified at
  RCW 9A.56.065

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2005 Laws of Washington

• ch. 212 2 added (1)(c), a search and rescue
  dog , while the search
• and rescue dog is
• on duty.

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2005 Laws of Washington

• This is the beginning of the ch. 212 text
• NOTE the bill number under the CHAPTER 212
  heading (Senate Bill 5979)

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Theft of a Search and Rescue dog.

• In 2005, a new section
• (3)added, injures, disables or causes the
  death of an on-duty Search and Rescue dog and
  made the crime a Class C Felony

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1995 Laws of Washington

• Ch. 129
• INITIATIVE 159

• In 1995, the People brought forth Initiative
  159, the Hard Time for Armed Crime Act

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1995 Initiative 159

• Initiatives are proposed by the People. This
  initiative, Hard Time for Armed Crime, is the
  peoples response to firearms being used during
  crimes. Often there was no additional time
  assessed for the use of a firearm during the crime

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Initiative 159, Hard Time for Armed Crime Act

• This is the beginning of the text of the1995
  Washington Laws, ch. 129

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ch. 129 11 amends RCW 9A.56.030

• Amended to read, other than a firearm as
  defined in RCW 9.41.010
• FYI Theft of a Firearm, is at RCW 9A.56.300

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1975 Laws of Washington ch. 260

• WASHINGTON CRIMINAL CODE

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ESSB 2092

• The 1975 Laws of Washington ch. 260 was the
  first comprehensive review of the Criminal Code
  since 1909

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RCW 9A.56.030

• The 1975 Washington Laws Ch. 260 9A.56.030-
  9A.56.050, divide the crime of Theft into three
  degrees
• Theft in the First Degree becomes RCW 9A.56.030

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Weve reviewed

• The RCW changes since 1975
• AND
• The Laws of Washington versions since 1975

• RCW 9A.56.030 using two of the three resources

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• Our third and final resource to review is
  the Final Legislative Report

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Final Legislative Reports?

• What are they? What can they tell us? Why are
  they important?

• Final Legislative Reports are annual
  compilations of the final bill reports. They
  indicate who the sponsors of the bill were, what
  committees were responsible for the bill, the
  background of the bill, the intent of the bill,
  what it does, who voted for or against it and
  when the law takes effect

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2007

• We know from earlier research in the RCW and WA
  Session Laws, the most recent change to RCW
  9A.56.030 was in the 2007 session

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One more tip. Remember?

• I said the bill numbers
• are important?
• The next page explains
• why

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From now on, we access all legislative documents
with bill numbers

• This is the 2007 Final Bill Report on E3SHB 1001
• Legislative note 2007 c 1993

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E3SHB 1001 adds, other than motor vehicles
into the Theft, First Degree statute

• Consequently, Motor Vehicle theft is now located
  separately at RCW 9A.56.065

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2005

• Legislature made additional changes in 2005
• Legislative note 2005 c2122

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Senate Bill 5979

• Adds, injures, disables or causes the death of
  an on-duty Search and Rescue dog, to Theft in
  the First Degree

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1995

• The 1995 session brought Initiative 159, the
  Hard Time for Armed Crime Act
• Legislative note 1995 c 129 11

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Initiative 159

• Initiative 159 adds, other than a firearm as
  defined in RCW 9.41.010
• This separates firearms from RCW 9A.56.030 and
  creates a new section, RCW 9A.56.300, Theft of a
  firearm

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1975

• The 1975 Laws made major changes to Washingtons
  criminal law
• Legislative note c260 9A.56.030

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ESSB 2092

• The first comprehensive review of the Washington
  Criminal Code since 1909

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Legislature defines the three degrees of theft

• And sets monetary values of each degree

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The Laws of Washington, the RCW and the Final
Legislative Reports provide

• Legislature passes a law (ch. ). The Washington
  Session Laws are the final version of the law.
• The RCW is the codified version of the law. In
  other words, the new law which may adjust, add
  new sections or completely create a new law, is
  divided up into appropriate RCW sections.
• House and Senate staff jointly write the Final
  Legislative Report about the intent of the law.
• These three resources are primary resources but
  they are not the only legislative history
  sources.

• Valuable information on the Legislative
  process
• The RCW, Laws of Washington and the Final
  Legislative Reports build upon one another to
  provide a more complete legislative history

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Additional legislative history sources

• Legislative Committee Reports
• Financial Reports
• Floor Debates
• Letters and memos between legislators or between
  legislators and citizens.
• TVW broadcasts of sessions
• House and Senate Journals

• These are available in print but a video
  presentation has not been made yet

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Where can these additional records be accessed?

• Some are available through our library
• Some are available online
• Some are available from TVW
• Some are only available through the Washington
  State Archives.
• Talk to our reference staff and we will assist
  you to locate the above materials and help make
  your research easier.

• Access?
• Talk to our staff

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Subsequent video presentations will be
available soon on other Washington's legislative
history sources such as

• Thanks for watching

• The House and Senate Journals

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Washington State Law Library

• Temple of Justice
• Box 40751
• 415 12th Avenue SW
• Olympia, WA 98504-0751
• [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• library.requests_at_courts.wa.gov

• Please contact us if we can assist you further