After months of meeting with multiple stakeholders, 35th Legislative District state Reps. Dan Griffey and Travis Couture have filed legislation to reform Washington state’s sexually violent predator (SVP) system.

The goal of the legislation is to balance protecting Washington residents from SVPs with the constitutional rights of SVPs, who the courts have ruled cannot be held indefinitely under civil commitment at McNeil Island and must be given a path to unconditional release, the Washington state House Republicans stated in a news release.

“These proposals are the starting point to fixing this system,” said Griffey, R-Allyn. “While not every stakeholder we have met with agrees on how to fix Washington’s SVP system, they all agree that it is broken.”

Last week, Griffey and Couture filed a pair of bills intended to start reforming Washington’s SVP civil commitment system.

• House Bill 1451 would require all less restrictive alternatives (LRAs), group homes where SVPs granted conditional release are placed in communities across the state, to be owned, operated or contracted by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to ensure transparency and accountability.

The bill also prohibits an SVP from proposing its own LRA placement before DSHS can identify and suggest one of its own. It also prohibits LRA housing from being placed within 500 feet of where children are known to congregate, requires a 60-day notice to law enforcement in a county where DSHS is considering LRA housing, as well as other conditions before siting.

The bill also requires DSHS to create a new map of Washington for a regional approach to LRA siting by Dec. 1, 2025.

• House Bill 1457 is intended to ensure communities are safe from SVPs released into LRAs by requiring SVPs released into communities to  wear technologically advanced ankle monitors that are virtually tamper-proof and provide real-time GPS data.

Under Washington state law, McNeil Island residents are entitled to a yearly evaluation to determine if they still meet criteria for civil commitment, if a less restrictive alternative is in their best interest and if conditions can be imposed that adequately protect the community, according to the news release.

Legislation passed in response to a court ruling in 2021 amended the procedures for LRAs to make it easier for facilities to open and for sexually violent predators to apply for LRA placement.

“Our current system lacks vision and direction, having been piecemealed together following an array of court rulings over the past several decades,” said Couture. “It is a big job to reform this system and balance protection from SVPs with SVP constitutional rights, but just because it is a big job does not mean we don’t do the work.”

“We have much more work to do on this system,” said Griffey. “That includes taking a closer look at the treatment SVPs receive and ensuring legislative oversight, accountability, and data on outcomes which we are not getting right now. That work is ongoing. For now, we need to do all we can to make sure our communities are safe.”

A proposed less restrictive alternative housing facility for SVPs in Tenino sparked backlash and outrage in 2023 from residents and government officials caught off guard by the plans to open the facility.

Concerns of community members and government officials included a lack of community notification, security concerns with the property and the proposed facility’s proximity to a new playground.

“We know many of our constituents do not want SVPs released into their neighborhoods,” said Couture. “We understand and share their safety concerns, but the courts have spoken on this issue. SVPs will be released into communities all over the state, and already have been. Knowing that, our job is to create a system that keeps our communities safe.”

“We have much more work to do on this system,” said Griffey. “That includes taking a closer look at the treatment SVPs receive and ensuring legislative oversight, accountability, and data on outcomes which we are not getting right now. That work is ongoing. For now, we need to do all we can to make sure our communities are safe.”

“Both bills are bipartisan, yet neither has been scheduled for a hearing,” Washington state House Republicans stated in the release. “Griffey and Couture encourage everyone who supports reforming the SVP system to ensure public safety (to) contact the chair  of the House Community Safety Committee and request hearings on the bills.”