SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5641

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

                 Transportation, March 2, 1999

Title:  An act relating to "Help Kids Speak" license plates.

Brief Description:  Regarding special license plates.

Sponsors:  Senators Haugen, Benton, Wojahn, Sellar and Costa.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Transportation:  2/24/99, 3/2/99 [DPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5641 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, Morton, Oke, Patterson, Prentice, Sellar, Sheahan, T. Sheldon, Shin and Swecker.

Staff:  Kelly Simpson (786-7305)

Background:  Special motor vehicle license plates are those plates containing a unique design recognizing a particular organization or membership in a particular group.  Currently, 15 special plate series exist, including personalized plates and veteran=s emblems.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The special AHelp Kids Speak@ license plate series is established.  Monies raised from the issuance of these plates are to be sent to the newly created AHelp Kids Speak@ license plate account.  Expenditures from the account may be used only by the Office of the Superintendent for Public Instruction to fund the AHelp Kids Speak@ grant program.  The purpose of the grant program is to provide grants to nonprofit charitable organizations that provide nationally certified speech pathologists at no cost to youngsters who have speech disorders.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  Technical changes were made to clean up the bill.  There were changes made to the account language to effectuate the intent of the bill.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on February 16, 1999.

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

Testimony For:  Programs such as the Center for Childhood Language Disorders offer nationally certified speech pathologists at no cost to youngsters who have speech disorders.  This bill allows people to help support the programs by purchasing special plates recognizing the good work these programs engage in.

Testimony Against:  Pursuant to the recommendations of a 1996 interim report from the Legislative Transportation Committee, the Department of Licensing does not wish to endorse the creation of a new special plate series.

Testified:  PRO:  Don White, Childhood Language Center; Mary-K McCoy, Scottish Rite Center for Language Disorders; Barbara Wechsler; CON:  Evelyn Barker, Dept. of Licensing; NEUTRAL:  Capt. Eric Robertson, WA State Patrol.