HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1757

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                      Commerce & Labor

Title:  An act relating to security guard licenses.

Brief Description:  Revising security guard licensing and requirements.

Sponsors:  Representatives Delvin, Sterk, Zellinsky and Hickel.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Commerce & Labor:  3/3/97, 3/5/97 [DPS].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 9 members:  Representatives McMorris, Chairman; Honeyford, Vice Chairman; Conway, Ranking Minority Member; Wood, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Boldt; Clements; Cole; Hatfield and Lisk.

Staff:  Selwyn Walters (786-7117).

Background:  The Department of Licensing regulates private security guards and private security guard businesses. A private security guard is an individual licensed under the security guard licensing law and employed as a security officer or guard, merchant patrol officer or guard, armed escort or bodyguard, armored vehicle guard, burglar alarm response runner, or crowd control officer.

The security guard licensing law exempts persons who perform security guard duties for a private employer who is not in the private security guard business and peace officers performing their official duties or engaged in off-duty employment as security guards.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  Guest services or crowd management employees who do not perform security officer duties are exempt from the security guard licensing requirements.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  All provisions of the original bill are deleted.  The original bill provided that a licensee under the security guard licensing law is required to notify the department when he or she becomes employed.  If the licensee is employed by more than one employer, he or she must notify the department and pay a dual employment fee.

In order to decide the truth of an application for a private security guard license, the director must submit an applicant=s fingerprints to the Washington State Patrol for comparison and an electronic background check.

The substitute bill creates an additional exemption to the security guard licensing law for employees who perform guest services or crowd management functions and do not routinely perform duties of security guards.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  (Substitute) All provisions of the original bill was struck because they would not be in compliance with federal law on the use of electronic background checks for employment and licensing purposes.  Ushers, pages, ticket takers, and escorts do not perform security guard functions and it should be made clear the security guard licensing law does not apply to them.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Jerome Delvin, prime sponsor.