Friends Committee On Washington State Public Policy
Action Alert
February 16, 2006

FCWPP Alert: Interest-Rate Reduction for Ex-offenders

Action: Please call or e-mail members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to
vote HB-1359 out of committee and members of the House Judiciary Committee
to hear and vote SB-5611 out of committee.  See the Background below for
why a Committee needs to process a bill from the other chamber.

Background: HB-1359 has passed the Washington State House and SB-5611 has
passed the Senate.  Although the wording of these two interest rate
reduction bills for ex-offenders is identical, state law requires that
either the Senate Judiciary Committee must vote favorably on the House bill
or the House Judiciary Committee must vote favorably on the Senate bill.
Once the bill is voted out of committee, the relevant chamber must then
pass the bill.

For a list of members of Senate Judiciary Committee, see:
http://www1.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Committees/JUD/members.htm

For a list of members of House Judiciary Committee, see:
http://www1.leg.wa.gov/House/Committees/JUDI/Members.htm

Talking points:

The bill is intended to reduce the interest rate charged ex-offenders for
legal financial obligations from 12% to a rate equal to the current
Treasury bill rate plus 2%.

The bill lessens the debt burden on ex-offenders, making it easier for them
to pay restitution, their share to the victims assessment fund, and their
financial sentence requirements.  Lowering their interest rate encourages
them to pay and reduces the pressures and demoralization of debt that can
lead to recidivism.

For details of HB-1359, see:
http://dlr.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/default.aspx?Bill=1359&year=2005

For details of SB-5611see:
http://dlr.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/default.aspx?Bill=5611&year=2005

Thank you,
Sam Merrill
FCWPP Legislative Committee

How to Contact Your Legislators:
Call the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 during session, weekdays 8
AM to 8 PM, Saturdays 9 AM to 1 PM
On the web at: http://www1.leg.wa.gov/legislature/
follow the link to the Senate or House, and click on your legislators
names to get their contact information or to e-mail them directly.

Use http://apps.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder/ to find out who your legislators
are.

Go to http://www1.leg.wa.gov/legislature/  for extensive online information
on legislators, legislation, our State Constitution and existing state law,
among many other things.

To contact your FCWPP Lobbyist, Roger Kluck, email
[email protected] or call him at 206-856-4444.