H-3889.1          _______________________________________________

                                  HOUSE BILL 2456

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State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1992 Regular Session

By Representatives Schmidt, Zellinsky and Wood

Read first time 01/17/92.  Referred to Committee on Local Government.Requiring a thirty-day notice before a library may contract for the collection of a fine or penalty.

     AN ACT Relating to public libraries; and amending RCW 27.12.340.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

     Sec. 1.  RCW 27.12.340 and 1987 c 456 s 29 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) It is a class 4 civil infraction for any person to willfully retain any book, newspaper, magazine, pamphlet, manuscript, or other property belonging in or to any public library, reading room, or other educational institution, for thirty days after notice in writing to return the same, given after the expiration of the time that by the rules of such institution such article or other property may be kept.

(2) A public library may not contract with a third party for the collection of a fine or penalty assessed under the authority of this chapter without first serving a thirty-day notice by certified mail to the person assessed the fine or penalty.  If the fine or penalty is due to the actions of a person eighteen years of age or less, the library must serve the thirty-day notice on that person's parent or legal guardian.