HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1706

             As Reported By House Committee on:

                      State Government

Title:  An act relating to technical corrections to the code governing the state militia.

Brief Description:  Making technical corrections to provisions for the state militia.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives Anderson, Sheldon, McLean and Broback; by request of Military Department.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

State Government, February 19, 1991, DP.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

STATE GOVERNMENT

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 9 members:  Representatives Anderson, Chair; Pruitt, Vice Chair; McLean, Ranking Minority Member; Bowman, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Chandler; Grant; Moyer; O'Brien; and Sheldon.

Staff:  Linda May (786-7135).

Background:  In 1989, the Legislature made substantial revisions to the Revised Code of Washington to modernize the provisions governing the Washington National Guard and to update the Washington Military Code.  Subsequent review by the Code Reviser's Office and the guard revealed a number of minor editorial errors.

One slightly more substantive error was found in the section which deals with the imposing of penalties as punishment.  One of the penalties involving a quantity of time ("restriction") is referenced in terms of a penalty which involves a quantity of money ("forfeiture").  It is unclear how to evaluate the loss of time and liberty in terms of dollars.

Summary of Bill:  The editorial corrections proposed by the Code Reviser's Office are incorporated into the Washington Military Code.  The problem of equating time and liberty with money is resolved by using the common denominator of time in the subsection.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  This is a housekeeping bill, with one small additional change that was overlooked earlier.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Kevin Ryan, Military Department (in favor).