HOUSE BILL REPORT

SSB 6075

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

As Reported by House Committee On:

Transportation

Title: An act relating to the disclosure of vehicle owner information.

Brief Description: Addressing the disclosure of vehicle owner information.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Carrell and Harper).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Transportation: 2/24/12 [DP].

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

  • Limits the information that the Department of Licensing (DOL) may provide to the vehicle owner when the owner's information is requested by an attorney or private investigator to the fact that the DOL has disclosed the owner's name and address, the date that the DOL disclosed the information, and that the owner may contact the DOL to find out the occupation of the requesting party if the vehicle owner contacts the DOL within five days.

  • Requires that a fee of $2 be collected per record returned pursuant to a request by any business entity and deposited into the Highway Safety Account.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 19 members: Representatives Clibborn, Chair; Liias, Vice Chair; Armstrong, Ranking Minority Member; Hargrove, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Angel, Finn, Fitzgibbon, Hansen, Johnson, Kristiansen, McCune, Moeller, Overstreet, Rivers, Rodne, Shea, Takko, Upthegrove and Zeiger.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 6 members: Representatives Eddy, Jinkins, Klippert, Ladenburg, Moscoso and Reykdal.

Staff: David Munnecke (786-7315).

Background:

Business entities may request the name and address of individual vehicle owners for use in the course of business from the Department of Licensing (DOL). The business entity must submit the request in writing, provide the full legal name and address of the requesting party, and specify the purpose for which the information will be used. The requesting party must enter into a disclosure agreement with the DOL that declares that the information will be used only for the purposes stated in the request for information. Where both a mailing address and a residence address are recorded on the vehicle record and the addresses differ, only the mailing address will be disclosed to a business entity.

If the DOL provides the name or address of a vehicle owner to an attorney or private investigator requesting such information, the DOL must notify the vehicle owner that the information has been disclosed. The notice must include the name and address of the attorney or private investigator.

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Summary of Bill:

The notice that the DOL provides to a vehicle owner when the owner's information has been disclosed to an attorney or private investigator must only contain:

In response to an inquiry from the vehicle owner, the DOL is prohibited from disclosing any information about the requesting party other than whether it was an attorney or private investigator.

A fee of $2 must be collected per record returned pursuant to a request by any business entity and deposited into the Highway Safety Account.

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Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

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

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) Currently, people receive a private investigator's or an attorney's address when they request a person's address from the DOL. Removing a private investigator's address from the notification that is sent to the individual whose name and address have been requested is going to improve the safety of the investigator or attorney.

People who have been threatened or have been victims of domestic violence need to know that their private information is not being shared with others by the DOL. These people should be told that they can register with a post office box rather than a mailing address. They also need to be told that they can take advantage of the state's already existing program, through the Ofice of the Secretary of State, that provides for address confidentiality.

The DOL is committed to providing information regarding address confidentiality to people in the event that this bill becomes law.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Grant Nelson, Pacific Northwest Association of Investigators; Pamela Crone, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; and Tony Sermonti, Department of Licensing.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.