Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
State Government & Tribal Relations Committee
HB 2099
Brief Description: Concerning state identification cards for persons in state custody or care.
Sponsors: Representatives Farivar, Cortes, Pollet, Reed, Simmons, Ormsby, Ramel, Gregerson, Goodman, Caldier, Stonier, Paul, Jacobsen, Nance, Wylie, Street, Reeves, Macri, Davis and Ryu.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Requires the state hospitals and the Department of Corrections to ensure that persons in the custody or care of those agencies possess valid state identification issued by the Department of Licensing prior to release or discharge.
  • Directs the Department of Corrections, Eastern State Hospital, and Western State Hospital to issue identification documents for use of individuals while in custody or care.
  • Requires the governing units of county and multijurisdictional jails to establish a process to provide support to individuals in custody with obtaining a state identicard.
Hearing Date: 1/16/24
Staff: Connor Schiff (786-7093).
Background:

The Department of Licensing (DOL) issues driver's licenses and identicards to applicants who pay a fee and provide proof of their identity. 


An applicant for a driver's license or identicard must provide the DOL with at least one of the following identifying documents that contains the signature and photograph of the applicant:

  • a valid or recently expired driver's license or instruction permit;
  • a Washington identicard or an identification card (ID) issued by another state;
  • an ID issued by the United States, or an agency of theUnited States;
  • a military ID;
  • a United States passport; or
  • an immigration and naturalization service form. 

 

The Department of Corrections is required to provide incarcerated individuals certain services prior to their discharge, including identifying the individual's needs and connecting the individual with community resources.
Summary of Bill:

Prior to the discharge of an incarcerated individual, the Department of Corrections (DOC) must ensure that every consenting incarcerated individual has a valid identicard or driver's license issued by the Department of Licensing (DOL).  The DOC is required to pay the application fee, provide a photo for use on the card, and obtain an acceptable signature from the individual.  An individual may request that the photo used is not the individual's mug shot and does not indicate that the individual was incarcerated at the time the photo was taken.  The DOL is required to ensure that the DOC has access to the appropriate DOL system to assist incarcerated individuals with obtaining a driver's license. 

 

The DOC is required to issue a department identification card to individuals in a correctional facility for use while in the facility.  The Department of Corrections is also required to issue a department identification card to individuals in community custody upon request of the individual.

 

Eastern State Hospital and Western State Hospital must ensure that every consenting patient possesses a valid identicard prior to the individual's release from care.  The hospital must also pay any application fee, provide a photo of the patient, and obtain a signature or mark from the patient to use for an identicard. 

 

By July 1, 2025, governing units of county and multijurisdictional jails must establish and implement a process to provide support to individuals in custody with obtaining an original, renewal, or replacement state identicard if the individual meets certain criteria, including meeting DOL criteria and not having a valid state identification card or driver's license.

 

In addition to the existing identifying documents that an applicant may use to apply for a driver's license or identicard, an applicant may also use an identification card issued by the Department of Corrections or a patient identification verification document issued by Eastern State Hospital or Western State Hospital. 

 

A reference to "immigration and naturalization service form" is changed to "a citizenship and immigration services service form" for the purposes of identifying documents.  
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect on January 1, 2025.