HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2527

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                        Law & Justice

Title:  An act relating to making technical corrections to the Revised Code of Washington.

Brief Description:  Making technical corrections to the Revised Code of Washington.

Sponsors:  Representatives McDonald, Constantine and Hickel; by request of Statute Law Committee.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Law & Justice:  1/27/98, 2/5/98 [DPS].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 13 members:  Representatives Sheahan, Chairman; McDonald, Vice Chairman; Sterk, Vice Chairman; Costa, Ranking Minority Member; Constantine, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Carrell; Cody; Kenney; Lambert; Lantz; Mulliken; Robertson and Sherstad.

Staff:  Trudes Hutcheson (786-7384).

Background:  Each year the Statute Law Committee reviews the Revised Code of Washington and recommends legislation to make technical corrections in the code.  Confusion in the code may result from double amendments (when the Legislature passes two bills amending the same section without reference to each other).  Mistakes in the code may occur when words are inadvertently omitted in bill drafts and floor amendments.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  Technical corrections are made to various sections in the code.  The word "or" is changed to "of" to correct an error in the statute creating the crime of custodial interference in the first degree.

A cross-reference is corrected in the statute requiring lobbyists to register with the Public Disclosure Commission.  The particular subsection of the RCW was changed from subsection (4) to subsection (5).  A cross-reference is corrected in the domestic violence statute.

The statutes addressing the formula for determining the threshold unemployment level for the definition of "distressed counties" inadvertently used the term "employment" instead of "unemployment."  The term is corrected.  In addition, the expiration date of June 30, 2000, is included in the codified section, so that all session laws affecting the section are included in the expiration date.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  An additional technical correction was made.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  None.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  None.