SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 6634

              As Passed Senate, February 16, 1998

Title:  An act relating to the extension of the validity of a driver's license that expires while the driver is outside the state.

Brief Description:  Allowing extension of a driver's license expiring while out of state.

Sponsors:  Senators Horn, Haugen, Wood and Oke; by request of Department of Licensing.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Transportation:  2/5/98 [DP].

Passed Senate, 2/16/98, 47-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Prince, Chair; Benton, Vice Chair; Wood, Vice Chair; Goings, Haugen, Heavey, Horn, Jacobsen, Morton, Oke, Prentice and Rasmussen.

Staff:  Paul Neal (786-7315)

Background:  Under current law, there is no provision for extending the term of a driver's license that expires while the person is outside the state.  If the person's license expires while outside the state, the person has no legal authority to drive back to the state to renew his or her license.

Summary of Bill:  The Department of Licensing (DOL) is allowed to adopt rules allowing a person to extend the term of his or her driver's license if he or she is outside the state at the time the license normally expires.  DOL is authorized to set a fee of not more than $5 for the extension.  The extension does not change the term of the renewed license.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 28, 1998.

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

Testimony For:  Passage of the bill allows DOL to authorize driver=s license extensions so that persons who were out of state when their licenses expired could continue to drive legally.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Senator Horn, prime sponsor; Clark Holloway, DOL.