HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2440

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                       Transportation

Title:  An act relating to technical editing of driver licensing statutes.

Brief Description:  Making driver licensing laws more understandable.

Sponsors:  Representatives Mitchell, Fisher, Hankins, Edwards, Cooper, Ruderman, Pflug, Wood and Hurst.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Transportation: 1/19/00, 1/20/00 [DP].

                 Brief Summary of Bill

$Edits driver's licensing statutes to provide greater clarity without changing substantive effect.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 25 members: Representatives Fisher, Democratic Co-Chair; Mitchell, Republican Co-Chair; Cooper, Democratic 1st Vice Chair; Edwards, Democratic 2nd Vice Chair; Ericksen, Republican Vice Chair; Hankins, Republican Vice Chair; Buck; DeBolt; Fortunato; Haigh; Hatfield; Hurst; Lovick; McDonald; Mielke; Morris; Murray; Ogden; Radcliff; Schindler; Schual-Berke; Scott; Skinner; Wood and Woods.

Staff:  Paul Neal (786-7315)

Background:

Some of the statutes relating to driver's licenses have been found by some persons to be difficult to read and understand.  This may be due to issues with the original drafting or with subsequent amendments to the statutes.

Summary of Bill:

HB 2440 continues the process which began last year by SHB 1294 (Chapter 6, laws of 1999).  HB 2440 continues the process of editing some of the driver's license statutes found in Chapter 46.20 in order to make the statutes easier to use.  None of the changes are substantive, that is, they do not alter any of the privileges, rights or responsibilities that citizens or the state have under the current statutes. 

The bill includes an intent section that explicitly states that the Legislature does not intend any substantive changes to the underlying statutes by enacting the clean-up legislation.  The Washington Supreme Court held that identical language demonstrated that the statutory amendments in Chapter 35, Laws of 1991, did not have any substantive effect, see Fray v. Spokane County, 134 Wn.2d 637, 653, 654 (1998).

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For:  The clearer language in the statutes is helpful to the Department of Licensing in administering the program.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  (Support) Clark Holloway, Washington State Department of Licensing.