HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1447

             As Reported By House Committee on:

                      Commerce & Labor

Title:  An act relating to the payment of regulatory charges by cemetery authorities.

Brief Description:  Changing the regulatory charge paid by cemetery authorities.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives Cole, Fuhrman and Heavey; by request of Department of Licensing.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Commerce & Labor, February 12, 1991, DP.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

COMMERCE & LABOR

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Heavey, Chair; Cole, Vice Chair; Fuhrman, Ranking Minority Member; Lisk, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Franklin; Jones; R. King; O'Brien; Prentice; Vance; and Wilson.

Staff:  Jim Kelley  (786-7166).

Background:  Current law limits the dollar amount of fees the Director of the Department of Licensing may charge cemetery authorities.  Compliance with this law has put the Cemetery Board program in direct conflict with the statutory requirement that licensing programs be self-sustaining.

Summary of Bill:  The director is authorized to set the cemetery renewal fees and may raise those fees by up to 25 percent per year.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  This bill would make it possible for the department to recover the costs of administering the program through fees, as required by law.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Marsha Tadano-Long and Jon Donnellan, Department of Licensing.