A bill currently under consideration in the Washington State Legislature—House Bill 2403—is drawing sharp criticism from law enforcement figures for its proposed weakening of criminal penalties for repeated failure to register as a sex offender.

Under current state law, a first offense of “Failure to Register” is treated as a class C felony, punishable by up to five years in prison, while repeat offenses escalate the offense to a class B felony, carrying a potential sentence of up to ten years. HB 2403 proposes both lowering such repeat violations back to class C felonies and stripping them of their classification as “sex offenses” under state sentencing guidelines. The bill currently resides in the House Rules Committee and could be called for a floor vote at any time. Supporters argue that failure to register is often administrative and better addressed via community custody instead of incarceration.

Rep. Brian Burnett (R–Chelan), a former sheriff, strongly opposes the bill. He contends that minimizing the consequences sends the wrong message: “They failed to register. They failed to comply with the simple things. It’s not rocket science,” he said. “Minimizing that charge…is the wrong direction.” Burnett warns that those who evade registration are often the most dangerous: “Statistics say that those who avoid registration, purposely, are the red flags… more likely to be deviant and devious to do things to harm our children.”

In Washington, more than 20,000 individuals remain on the state’s sex offender registry, categorized by risk levels from low to high. Level 2 and 3 offenders, plus transient Level 1 offenders, are listed on the public registry maintained by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

Burnett underscores that compliance with registration is not an administrative technicality but a critical public safety tool. “It is a deliberate choice to avoid supervision and accountability… Weakening consequences for repeated violations is the wrong direction,” he said.

Why this matters locally
Though the debate currently centers on statewide registration law, its implications are immediate for Cowlitz County. Lower penalties could limit law enforcement’s capacity to enforce accountability and monitor high-risk individuals—raising concerns in communities such as Longview and Kelso, which depend on local sheriff’s offices for public protection.