Washington State House of Representatives	BILL ANALYSIS
Transportation Committee

HB 1233

Brief Description:  Assisting enforcement of vehicle registration and tax laws.

Sponsors:  Representatives Ogden, Fromhold, Fisher, Mielke and Benson.

Brief Summary of Bill

$Requires the Department of Licensing to compare out of state vehicle registration and driver license data against Washington=s driver license data.

$The findings must be submitted to the Washington State Patrol and the Department of Revenue for further investigation.

Hearing Date:  2/15/01

Staff:  Reema Griffith, (786-7301)

Background: 

Under current law it is a misdemeanor with a penalty of $330 to operate a vehicle in Washington without first registering, obtaining, and displaying a Washington license plate.  Additionally, it is a gross misdemeanor for a resident of Washington to license a vehicle in another state, evading the payment of sales and use tax, or licensing fees connected with vehicle registration.

In order to enforce these provisions, law enforcement must rely on independent reports of known violations, or enforce the law as a secondary action.

Summary of Bill: 

In order to identify those Washington residents who are operating vehicles that are licensed and registered in another state, the Department of Licensing is required to conduct a quarterly comparison of the Washington driver license database with the driver license and vehicle registration data bases of other states, which shall, at a minimum, include the states of Oregon and Idaho.  The department must report its findings to the Washington State Patrol and the   Department of Revenue for further investigation of potential evasion of sales and use tax as well as vehicle registration fees.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.