FINAL BILL REPORT

                   SB 5198

                           C 44 L 99

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Comporting with Internal Revenue Code language.

Sponsors:  Senators Johnson and Kline.

Senate Committee on Judiciary

House Committee on Judiciary

Background:  The term Aunified credit@ appears only once in the Revised Code of Washington and is not defined.  The current statute refers to Aunified credit under section 2010 of the Internal Revenue Code.@  However, the term Aunified credit@ is only used in the title of Internal Revenue Code Section 2010 and is neither defined or used in the text of the estate tax provisions of the code.

The Estate and Gift Tax Section of the Washington State Bar suggests that the word Aunified@ be deleted from the statute to harmonize state law with the federal tax code and to avoid possible confusion should litigation arise under this section.

Summary:  The word Aunified@ is deleted from the term Aunified credit@ as that term is used in the marital deduction survivorship requirements section of the law.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate 48 0

House     90 0

Effective:  July 25, 1999