SENATE BILL REPORT

SHB 2830

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Highways & Transportation, March 1, 2004

Title: An act relating to authorizing a fee for the limited purpose of reviewing driving records of existing policyholders for changes.

Brief Description: Authorizing a fee for the review of driving records.

Sponsors: House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives Hudgins, Jarrett, Hatfield, Mielke, Wallace and Nixon).

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Highways & Transportation: 2/24/04, 3/1/04 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass.

      Signed by Senators Horn, Chair; Swecker, Vice Chair; Esser, Haugen, Jacobsen, Kastama, Mulliken, Murray, Oke, Poulsen and Spanel.

Staff: Kimberly Johnson (786-7346)

Background: A certified abstract of the driving record generally contains the number of motor vehicle accidents in which the person was driving, whether the accident resulted in a fatality, the status of the person's driving privilege in this state, and any report of a failure to appear or a failure to respond. Currently, the Department of Licensing (DOL) may provide certified abstracts of driving records covering three years or less to prospective or current insurance companies upon request. The fee for each abstract is $5.

Summary of Bill: The director of DOL is authorized to enter into a contractual agreement with an insurance company or its agent for the purpose of reviewing the driving records of existing policyholders for changes occurring to the record during a specified period of time. DOL must charge a fee for providing this service. The fee must be set at a level that will not result in a net revenue loss to the state.

Any information provided pursuant to such a contractual agreement must be treated in the same manner, and is subject to the same restrictions, as the full driver abstract.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

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

Testimony For: This bill increases efficiency without expanding any information insurance companies are able to receive under current law. This will be an excellent data management tool and our company will definitely use this service if made available.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: Representative Hudgins; Mike Woodin, Explore Information Services; Mel Sorensen, Choice Point.