CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

 

                   SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2776

 

 

                   Chapter 110, Laws of 2000

 

 

                        56th Legislature

                      2000 Regular Session

 

 

TRAFFIC INFRACTIONS--DEFERRED FINDINGS

 

 

 

                    EFFECTIVE DATE:  6/8/00

Passed by the House March 6, 2000

  Yeas 98   Nays 0

 

 

             CLYDE BALLARD

Speaker of the House of Representatives

     

 

 

              FRANK CHOPP

Speaker of the House of Representatives

 

 

 

Passed by the Senate March 3, 2000

  Yeas 39   Nays 8

             CERTIFICATE

 

We, Timothy A. Martin and Cynthia Zehnder, Co-Chief Clerks of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2776 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth.

 

 

 

           CYNTHIA ZEHNDER

                          Chief Clerk

 

 

          TIMOTHY A. MARTIN

                          Chief Clerk

               BRAD OWEN

President of the Senate

 

 

 

Approved March 24, 2000 Place Style On Codes above, and Style Off Codes below.            

                                FILED                

 

           March 24, 2000 - 3:01 p.m.

 

              GARY LOCKE

Governor of the State of Washington

                 Secretary of State

                 State of Washington


          _______________________________________________

 

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2776

          _______________________________________________

 

             Passed Legislature - 2000 Regular Session

 

                     AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

 

State of Washington      56th Legislature     2000 Regular Session

 

By House Committee on Judiciary (originally sponsored by Representatives Constantine, Carrell, Lantz and Hurst)

 

Read first time 02/03/2000.  Referred to Committee on .

Providing for deferred findings and collection of an administrative fee in an infraction case.    


    AN ACT Relating to deferred findings and collection of an administrative fee in an infraction case; and amending RCW 46.63.070.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

    Sec. 1.  RCW 46.63.070 and 1993 c 501 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Any person who receives a notice of traffic infraction shall respond to such notice as provided in this section within fifteen days of the date of the notice.

    (2) If the person determined to have committed the infraction does not contest the determination the person shall respond by completing the appropriate portion of the notice of infraction and submitting it, either by mail or in person, to the court specified on the notice.  A check or money order in the amount of the penalty prescribed for the infraction must be submitted with the response.  When a response which does not contest the determination is received, an appropriate order shall be entered in the court's records, and a record of the response and order shall be furnished to the department in accordance with RCW 46.20.270.

    (3) If the person determined to have committed the infraction wishes to contest the determination the person shall respond by completing the portion of the notice of infraction requesting a hearing and submitting it, either by mail or in person, to the court specified on the notice.  The court shall notify the person in writing of the time, place, and date of the hearing, and that date shall not be sooner than seven days from the date of the notice, except by agreement.

    (4) If the person determined to have committed the infraction does not contest the determination but wishes to explain mitigating circumstances surrounding the infraction the person shall respond by completing the portion of the notice of infraction requesting a hearing for that purpose and submitting it, either by mail or in person, to the court specified on the notice.  The court shall notify the person in writing of the time, place, and date of the hearing.

    (5)(a) In hearings conducted pursuant to subsections (3) and (4) of this section, the court may defer findings, or in a hearing to explain mitigating circumstances may defer entry of its order, for up to one year and impose conditions upon the defendant the court deems appropriate.  Upon deferring findings, the court may assess costs as the court deems appropriate for administrative processing.  If at the end of the deferral period the defendant has met all conditions and has not been determined to have committed another traffic infraction, the court may dismiss the infraction.

    (b) A person may not receive more than one deferral within a seven-year period for traffic infractions for moving violations and more than one deferral within a seven-year period for traffic infractions for nonmoving violations.

    (6) If any person issued a notice of traffic infraction:

    (a) Fails to respond to the notice of traffic infraction as provided in subsection (2) of this section; or

    (b) Fails to appear at a hearing requested pursuant to subsection (3) or (4) of this section;

the court shall enter an appropriate order assessing the monetary penalty prescribed for the traffic infraction and any other penalty authorized by this chapter and shall notify the department in accordance with RCW 46.20.270, of the failure to respond to the notice of infraction or to appear at a requested hearing.


    Passed the House March 6, 2000.

    Passed the Senate March 3, 2000.

Approved by the Governor March 24, 2000.

    Filed in Office of Secretary of State March 24, 2000.