Opinion ID: 2264795
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Legislative Amendment

Text: ¶ 21 Even if we believed the plain language of former RCW 26.50.110(1) was ambiguous, contextual evidence clearly indicates that the defendants' proffered interpretation is inconsistent with legislative intent. [5] ¶ 22 We may refer to a statute's subsequent history to clarify an ambiguous statute's original intent. See Rozner v. City of Bellevue, 116 Wash.2d 342, 347-48, 804 P.2d 24 (1991). In 2007, the legislature unanimously amended former RCW 26.50.110 to exorcise the arrest provision and make clear that any violation of a no-contact order restraint provision was a crime. Final H.B. Rep. on Substitute H.B. 1642, at 2, 60th Leg., Reg. Sess. (2007). Regarding the amendments, the legislature stated: The legislature finds this act necessary to restore and make clear its intent that a willful violation of a no-contact provision of a court order is a criminal offense and shall be enforced accordingly to preserve the integrity and intent of the domestic violence act. This act is not intended to broaden the scope of law enforcement power or effectuate any substantive change to any criminal provision in the Revised Code of Washington. Laws of 2007, ch. 173, § 1 (emphasis added). This legislative statement of intent leaves no doubt regarding the correct interpretation of former RCW 26.50.110(1). The nature of the former and 2007 versions of the statute are substantively the same, and both criminalize all no-contact order violations.