Skip to content

Bills · 2019-2020 Regular Session

SB 393

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: eliminating criminal defense of adequate provocation or self-defense if the claim is based on the victim's gender identity or sexual orientation.

Crime and criminals Crime victim Discrimination Lesbian gay bisexual and transgender

  1. Introduced, stopped here
  2. Passes Senate, not reached
  3. Passes Assembly, not reached
  4. Governor signs, not reached
  5. Law, not reached

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

Current law provides specific defenses to criminal liability. For instance, a

charge of first-degree intentional homicide may be mitigated to second-degree

intentional homicide if, at the time of committing the crime, the defendant

reasonably believes the victim has done something that adequately provokes the

defendant to lack self-control completely. Another defense is the privilege of

self-defense under which a person may threaten or intentionally use force against

another for the purpose of preventing or terminating what the person reasonably

believes to be an unlawful interference with his or her person by the other person.

Under this bill, a defendant may not assert adequate provocation or

self-defense as a defense if the criminal action in question resulted from the

discovery of, knowledge about, or potential disclosure of the victim's gender identity

or expression or sexual orientation, including under circumstances in which the

victim made a romantic or sexual advance without use or threat of force or violence

toward the defendant.

Sponsors

Introduced by: Carpenter (D) , Erpenbach (D) , Hansen (D) , Johnson (D) , L. Taylor (D) , Larson (D) , Risser (D) , Smith (D) , Wirch (D)

29 cosponsors

Anderson (D) , Billings (D) , Bowen (D) , Brostoff (D) , C. Taylor (D) , Cabrera (D) , Considine (D) , Emerson (D) , Fields (D) , Goyke (D) , Gruszynski (D) , Hebl (D) , Hesselbein (D) , Kitchens (R) , McGuire (D) , Neubauer (D) , Novak (R) , Ohnstad (D) , Pope (D) , Riemer (D) , Sargent (D) , Shankland (D) , Sinicki (D) , Spreitzer (D) , Stuck (D) , Subeck (D) , Vining (D) , Vruwink (D) , Zamarripa (D)

Full history

  1. Sep 16, 2019 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Carpenter, Erpenbach, Hansen, Johnson, Larson, Risser, Smith, L. Taylor and Wirch; cosponsored by Representatives Neubauer, Cabrera, Novak, Zamarripa, Spreitzer, Anderson, Billings, Bowen, Brostoff, Considine, Emerson, Fields, Goyke, Gruszynski, Hebl, Hesselbein, Kitchens, McGuire, Ohnstad, Pope, Riemer, Sargent, Shankland, Sinicki, Stuck, Subeck, C. Taylor, Vining and Vruwink

  2. Sep 16, 2019 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Government Operations, Technology and Consumer Protection

  3. Apr 1, 2020 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1