HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1063

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                        Law & Justice

Title:  An act relating to technical corrections.

Brief Description:  Making technical corrections.

Sponsors:  Representatives Padden and Mastin; by request of Law Revision Commission.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Law & Justice:  1/17/95, 1/24/95 [DP].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 15 members:  Representatives Padden, Chair; Delvin, Vice Chair; Hickel, Vice Chair; Appelwick, Ranking Minority Member; Costa, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Carrell; Chappell; Cody; Lambert; McMahan; Morris; Robertson; Sheahan; Smith and Veloria.

Staff:  Bill Perry (786-7123).

Background:  In a given legislative session, two or more bills may amend the same section of the Revised Code of Washington.  When this happens, and neither bill refers to or incorporates the changes from the other, a so-called "double" or "multiple" amendment occurs.  Most often, there is no substantive conflict between the multiple amendments to a section of the code.  However, sometimes even though there is no substantive conflict, merging multiple amendments may require some restructuring of a section for grammatical or other reasons.

Over the years, changes in the designations of various agencies and entities have been made in the code.  Occasionally, older and now obsolete references to previous designations remain. 

Sometimes a single section of the code may contain obsolete references and may also   have been the subject of multiple amendments.  For instance, a section in the election code was amended twice in 1993.  That same section contains a reference to the "state central committee" as the entity to which information on registered voters is to be sent.  Another section of the election code, however, had previously been amended to allow not just the central committees, but "political party organizations" to request that information.  Thus, the section on who is to receive the information is out of date with the section on who may request the information. (RCW 29.04.160)

Sometimes provisions of the code remain even though the substance of the provisions is obsolete.  For instance, in 1977 the Legislature abolished the "state printing and duplicating committee."  However, the provision that abolished the committee, and several related provisions, remain in the code.  (RCW 43.19.640 through 43.19.665)

The Law Revision Commission is charged with reviewing the code and suggesting improvements to the Legislature.  The commission has identified a number of technical corrections, including reconciling multiple amendments and deleting obsolete references, that it is recommending to the Legislature.

Summary of Bill:  Various sections of the Revised Code of Washington are reenacted to merge multiple amendments made in previous legislative sessions.  Various obsolete references are removed or corrected.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  None.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  None.