Title: An act relating to disclosure of addresses of vehicle owners.

Brief Description: Regulating disclosure of addresses of vehicle owners.

Sponsors: Senators Haugen, Swecker, Jacobsen and Esser.

Brief History:

Transportation: 3/29/05, 3/31/05 [DPA].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass as amended. Signed by 21 members: Representatives Murray, Chair; Wallace, Vice Chair; Appleton, Campbell, Curtis, Dickerson, Flannigan, Hankins, Hudgins, Jarrett, Kilmer, Lovick, Morris, Nixon, Rodne, Sells, Simpson, B. Sullivan, Takko, Upthegrove and Wood.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 5 members: Representatives Woods, Ranking Minority Member; Buck, Ericksen, Schindler and Shabro.

Staff: David Munnecke (786-7315).

Background:

Currently, the Department of Licensing (DOL) may furnish lists of registered and legal owners of motor vehicles to the following entities for the indicated purposes:

• motor vehicle manufacturers, for safety recalls;
• U. S. and Canadian governmental agencies, for use in enforcement of vehicle or traffic laws;
• commercial parking companies, to notify owners of outstanding parking violations;
• the DOL agents, to provide certain information to motor vehicle dealers;
• businesses making loans for the purchase of motor vehicles, to assist in determining whether to provide financing; and
• toll facilities, to identify toll violators.

The DOL may also release the name and address of an individual vehicle owner if the requesting party is a business entity that has entered into a disclosure agreement with the department and requests the information for use in the course of business.

Summary of Amended Bill:

When both a residential address and a mailing address are on file with the DOL, only the mailing address may be disclosed, unless the request for information is from: (1) a law enforcement agency; (2) a government entity with enforcement, investigative, or taxing authority; or (3) for use in legal proceedings or in preparation for legal proceedings. Legal proceedings are defined to include, but are not limited to, lawsuits and repossessions.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill:

The amended bill changes the term "court proceeding" to the term "legal proceeding." It then defines legal proceeding to include, but not be limited to, lawsuits and repossessions.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date of Amended Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: The DOL is in favor of this bill because it allows for the protection of confidential information while also making allowances for the informational needs of external entities. Only those entities who really need the information will get it. It allows for the collection of necessary information for taxation purposes without creating safety risks or privacy breaches.

State patrol troopers, police officers and sheriff's deputies worked with the DOL on this bill. Officers often don't want personal information, such as residential addresses, released, but still want to fulfill their taxation obligations.

Testimony Against: None.

Persons Testifying: Jim Fellows, Department of Licensing; Rick Jensen, Washington State Patrol Troopers Association; and Bill Hanson, Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.