SENATE BILL REPORT
SHB 2432
As Reported By Senate Committee On:
Transportation, February 28, 2002
Title: An act relating to driving record abstracts furnished to transit authorities.
Brief Description: Regulating driving abstracts furnished to transit agencies on vanpool drivers.
Sponsors: House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives Lovick, Jarrett and Mitchell).
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Transportation: 2/26/02, 2/28/02 [DPA].
SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Majority Report: Do pass as amended.
Signed by Senators Haugen, Chair; Benton, Eide, Finkbeiner, Horn, Jacobsen, Johnson, Kastama, Keiser, McAuliffe, McDonald, Oke, Prentice, Shin and Swecker.
Staff: Tami Neilson (786‑7452)
Background: Transit agencies accessed driving record abstracts for prospective vanpool drivers through service bureaus until the year 2000. This practice was stopped because it was found that a service bureau was selling abstracts to a third party.
Current law states that certified abstracts of driving records covering three years or less will be provided to prospective or current insurance companies upon request. Certified abstracts of driving records covering five years or less may be given to state-approved alcohol/drug assessment or treatment agencies with information on additional alcohol-related offenses from no more than ten years. Certified abstracts of full driving records can be provided to the driver, current employers or their agents, prospective employers or their agents, and city and county prosecuting attorneys.
Summary of Amended Bill: Life insurance companies, transit authorities or their agents can request certified abstracts of full driving records for prospective vanpool drivers for insurance and risk management purposes. It is unlawful to use the abstract information for any purposes other than those necessary to determine whether the prospective vanpool driver meets insurance and risk management requirements necessary to drive a vanpool vehicle. The information obtained by transit authorities from the abstract cannot be shared with a third party.
Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill: Life insurance companies may also obtain driving records.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: This will make it convenient for customers and transit agencies. It is also needed for risk management purposes.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: John Lovick, Representative; Peter Thein, Washington State Transit Association; Carolyn Newsome, Intercity Transit.