SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SHB 1294

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

                 Transportation, March 3, 1999

Title:  An act relating to technical editing of statutes in chapter 46.20 RCW.

Brief Description:  Technically editing chapter 46.20 RCW.

Sponsors:  House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives Fisher and K. Schmidt).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Transportation:  3/2/99, 3/3/99 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Haugen, Chair; Gardner, Vice Chair; Goings, Vice Chair; Benton, Costa, Eide, Finkbeiner, Heavey, Horn, Jacobsen, Johnson, Morton, Oke, Patterson, Prentice, Sellar, Sheahan, T. Sheldon, Shin and Swecker.

Staff:  Paul Neal (786-7315)

Background:  Some of the statutes relating to drivers= 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:  Some of the drivers= license statutes found in Chapter 46.20 are edited, and the chapter is divided into subchapters 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.

An intent section is included that explicitly states that the Legislature does not intend any substantive changes to the underlying statutes by enacting the clean-up legislation.  The Supreme Court of Washington 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:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  None.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  No one.