OLYMPIA – A pair of bills aimed at public safety improvements were signed into law Thursday, March 29. Senate Bills 6472 and 6296 are both sponsored by Senator Nick Harper, D-Everett.

SB 6472 will help make carbon monoxide alarms more prevalent in Washington homes, while SB 6296 reforms and consolidates portions of the state’s criminal background check laws.

Hundreds of people die accidently each year from carbon monoxide poisoning. SB 6472 requires that when a house is sold, the seller disclosure form must include whether or not a home has carbon monoxide alarms installed.

A seller disclosure form is a document which lists pertinent information about a home, things such as the sewer/water system, electrical system, roof, etc. A law passed in 2010 requires that carbon monoxide alarms be included in all homes built or sold after the effective date of the law. But many sellers were unaware of the law. SB 6472 will make sure that they are of the requirement for carbon monoxide alarms.

“You can’t see or smell carbon monoxide, but it has the potential to kill a person literally within minutes,” Harper said. “Carbon monoxide alarms are just as important as smoke detectors. They are a valuable public safety tool and should be in every home.”

SB 6296 has several functions. Currently people who want to view their criminal history must do so in the presence of someone from the criminal justice agency. 6296 will allow people to obtain a copy of his or her criminal history and create a copying fee to cover costs.

“The state patrol’s time is valuable and can be better spent investigating and preventing crimes,” Harper said. “This will free them up to focus their time and talent toward their core mission – public safety.”

The bill also provides potential state employers with a more complete background check on potential new hires. Currently agencies will not receive pending charges that are not crimes against a person, such as a DUI. They will under SB 6296.