HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2604

                      As Passed House:

                      February 6, 1996

Title:  An act relating to lists of registered and legal owners of vehicles.

Brief Description:  Providing vehicle owners' names and addresses to commercial parking companies.

Sponsors:  Representatives Silver, R. Fisher, Chopp and Tokuda.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Transportation:  1/30/96 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  2/6/96, 96-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 23 members:  Representatives K. Schmidt, Chairman; Benton, Vice Chairman; Mitchell, Vice Chairman; Hatfield, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Backlund; Blanton; Brown; Cairnes; Chopp; Elliot; Hankins; Horn; Johnson; McMahan; Ogden; Patterson; Quall; Robertson; Romero; D. Schmidt; Scott; Sterk and Tokuda.

Staff:  Jennifer Joly (786-7305).

Background:  Commercial parking companies contact registered owners of motor vehicles to notify them of outstanding parking violations.  Currently, the commercial parking companies receive registered owner information from the Department of Licensing (DOL) via printed forms.

In the section pertaining to public records, the public disclosure law prohibits agencies from providing access to lists of individuals for commercial purposes, unless specifically authorized or directed by law.  Although RCW 46.12.380 does authorize the disclosure of the names and addresses of vehicle owners for commercial purposes, it prescribes the manner of production.  Under the procedures in RCW 46.12.380, DOL currently prohibits the disclosure of this information electronically (e.g., magnetic tape) to commercial parking companies except when said companies are acting on behalf of a municipality or other governmental entity.

Summary of Bill:  The Department of Licensing (DOL) is permitted to furnish lists of the registered owners of motor vehicles electronically to commercial parking companies.  If a registered owner list is used by a commercial parking company for any purpose other than notification of outstanding parking violations, DOL will deny further access to such information.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  HB 2604 helps bring parking enforcement into the technology age.  Using magnetic tape to acquire the names and addresses of registered vehicle owners will diminish costs associated with paper shuffling.  This bill will also ensure more timely investigation of vehicles abandoned in parking lots.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Jean Silver, prime sponsor; Craig Bagdon, Ticket Track; and Celia Fritz, VIP Airport Parking.