HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1024

                    As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to law enforcement and fire fighters.

Brief Description:  Excluding certain driving record information pertaining to law enforcement officers and fire fighters from abstracts of driving records.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives Zellinsky, Broback, Dellwo, Haugen, Kremen, Day, Wineberry, Mielke, Orr, Inslee, Ebersole, R. Meyers, Paris, Schmidt, May, Edmondson, Van Luven, Sheldon, Pruitt, Winsley, Forner and Anderson.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Financial Institutions & Insurance, February 5, 1991, DP.

Passed House February 12, 1991, 97-0;

Amended by Senate;

House concurred;

Passed Legislature, 96-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS & INSURANCE

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 13 members:  Representatives Dellwo, Chair; Zellinsky, Vice Chair; Broback, Ranking Minority Member; Mielke, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Anderson; Dorn; Inslee; R. Johnson; R. Meyers; Paris; Schmidt; Scott; and Winsley.

Staff:  John Conniff (786-7119).

Background:  Existing law permits insurance companies to obtain an abstract of the driving record of a person applying for insurance.  However, abstracts may not contain information concerning an accident involving a law enforcement officer or fire fighter when the accident is determined to have occurred during an emergency situation and the officer's or fire fighter's actions were reasonable under the circumstances.

Summary of Bill:  Except for accidents resulting in misdemeanor or felony convictions, driving record abstracts may not contain information concerning accidents involving law enforcement officers and fire fighters while such persons are driving official vehicles in the performance of occupational duty. The standard for determining the reasonableness of the officer's or fire fighter's action related to the accident is repealed.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  Law enforcement officers and fire fighters who operate motor vehicles in the course of their duties should not have accidents occurring on the job affect their ability to obtain and afford auto insurance for personal needs.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Tim Erickson, Washington State Patrol (Pro); Roger Lake, Washington State Patrol Troopers Assn. (Pro); Ton Vivenzio, Service Employees International (Pro); Mike Patrick, Washington State Council of Police Officers (Pro); and Howard Vietzke, Council of Fire Fighters (Pro).