SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SSB 5309

              As Passed Senate, February 19, 1999

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

Brief Description:  Technically editing chapter 46.20 RCW.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senator Haugen).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Transportation:  1/26/99, 2/2/99 [DPS].

Passed Senate, 2/19/99, 44-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5309 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

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

Staff:  Paul Neal (786-7315)

Background:  Some persons have found some of the statutes relating to driver's licenses 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 driver's license statutes found in Chapter 46.20 are edited.  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.