H-0149.1          _______________________________________________

 

                                  HOUSE BILL 1024

                  _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

 

By Representatives Zellinsky, Broback, Dellwo, Haugen, Kremen, Day, Wineberry, Mielke, Orr, Inslee, Ebersole, R. Meyers, Paris, Schmidt, May, Edmondson, Van Luven, Sheldon, Pruitt, Winsley, Forner and Anderson.

 

Read first time January 16, 1991.  Referred to Committee on Financial Institutions & Insurance.


Excluding certain driving record information pertaining to law enforcement officers and fire fighters from abstracts of driving records.     AN ACT Relating to law enforcement and fire fighters; and amending RCW 46.52.130.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

     Sec. 1.  RCW 46.52.130 and 1989 c 178 s 24 are each amended to read as follows:

     A certified abstract of the driving record shall be furnished only to the individual named in the abstract, an employer, the insurance carrier that has insurance in effect covering the employer or a prospective employer, the insurance carrier that has insurance in effect covering the named individual, the insurance carrier to which the named individual has applied, or an alcohol/drug assessment or treatment agency approved by the department of social and health services, to which the named individual has applied or been assigned for evaluation or treatment.  City attorneys and county prosecuting attorneys may provide the driving record to alcohol/drug assessment or treatment agencies approved by the department of social and health services to which the named individual has applied or been assigned for evaluation or treatment.  The director, upon proper request, shall furnish a certified abstract covering the period of not more than the last three years to insurance companies, and covering a period of not more than the last five years to state approved alcohol/drug assessment or treatment agencies.  A certified abstract of the full driving record maintained by the department shall be furnished to individuals and employers or prospective employers.  The abstract, whenever possible, shall include an enumeration of motor vehicle accidents in which the person was driving; the total number of vehicles involved; whether the vehicles were legally parked or moving; whether the vehicles were occupied at the time of the accident; any reported convictions, forfeitures of bail, or findings that an infraction was committed based upon a violation of any motor vehicle law; and the status of the person's driving privilege in this state.  The enumeration shall include any reports of failure to appear in response to a traffic citation or failure to respond to a notice of infraction served upon the named individual by an arresting officer.

     The abstract provided to the insurance company shall exclude any information pertaining to law enforcement officers or fire fighters as defined in RCW 41.26.030, or any ((member)) officer of the Washington state patrol, while driving official vehicles in the performance of occupational duty ((during an emergency situation if the chief of the officer's or fire fighter's department certifies on the accident report that the actions of the officer or fire fighter were reasonable under the circumstances as they existed at the time of the accident)).

     The director shall collect for each abstract the sum of four dollars and fifty cents which shall be deposited in the highway safety fund.

     Any insurance company or its agent receiving the certified abstract shall use it exclusively for its own underwriting purposes and shall not divulge any of the information contained in it to a third party.  No policy of insurance may be canceled, nonrenewed, denied, or have the rate increased on the basis of such information unless the policyholder was determined to be at fault.  No insurance company or its agent for underwriting purposes relating to the operation of commercial motor vehicles may use any information contained in the abstract relative to any person's operation of motor vehicles while not engaged in such employment, nor may any insurance company or its agent for underwriting purposes relating to the operation of noncommercial motor vehicles use any information contained in the abstract relative to any person's operation of commercial motor vehicles.

     Any employer or prospective employer receiving the certified abstract shall use it exclusively for his own purpose to determine whether the licensee should be permitted to operate a commercial vehicle or school bus upon the public highways of this state and shall not divulge any information contained in it to a third party.

     Any alcohol/drug assessment or treatment agency approved by the department of social and health services receiving the certified abstract shall use it exclusively for the purpose of assisting its employees in making a determination as to what level of treatment, if any, is appropriate.  The agency, or any of its employees, shall not divulge any information contained in the abstract to a third party.

     Any violation of this section is a gross misdemeanor.