SENATE BILL REPORT

                            SB 5330

               AS PASSED SENATE, MARCH 16, 1993

Brief Description:  Exempting auction sold property from a statutory holding period.

SPONSORS: Senators Haugen, Moore and Amondson

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR & COMMERCE

Majority Report:  Do pass. 

     Signed by Senators Moore, Chairman; Prentice, Vice Chairman; Amondson, Barr, Cantu, Fraser, McAuliffe, Newhouse, Pelz, Prince, Sutherland, and Vognild.

Staff:  Patrick Woods (786‑7430)

Hearing Dates: February 9, 1993; February 15, 1993

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR

BACKGROUND:

Under the provisions of a 1991 amendment to the Pawnbrokers and Secondhand Dealers Act, property bought or received on consignment must stay on the premises for 30 days except in cases where the property is redeemed or returned to the original owner. 

Auctioneers and auctioneering companies are currently regulated under the provisions of the Auctioneers Act, Chapter 18.11 RCW.  The auctioneering industry has expressed concerns that the mandated 30-day retention requirement provided under the pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers law might be considered to apply to property that is sold by a licensed auctioneer.

SUMMARY:

Secondhand property bought or received on consignment or sold at an auction conducted by a licensed auctioneer is not subject to the 30-day retention requirement mandated under the pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers statute.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested

TESTIMONY FOR:

The bill will clarify that auctioneers are not subject to the 30-day property retention requirement that was recently mandated for pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  Joe Daniels, Washington State Auctioneers Association

HOUSE AMENDMENT(S):

Strikes everything after the enacting clause and inserts a provision authorizing the Department of Licensing to exempt by rule licensed auctioneers from the statutory requirements under the Pawnbrokers and Secondhand Dealers Act.