SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5716

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Financial Services, Insurance & Housing, February 20, 2003

Title: An act relating to crimes involving drivers' licenses and identicards.

Brief Description: Prohibiting manufacture or sale of fraudulent drivers' licenses and identicards.

Sponsors: Senators Prentice, Winsley, Benton, Kline, McCaslin and Rasmussen.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Financial Services, Insurance & Housing: 2/13/03, 2/20/03 [DPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INSURANCE & HOUSING

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5716 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators Benton, Chair; Winsley, Vice Chair; Keiser, Prentice, Roach and Zarelli.

Staff: Joanne Conrad (786-7472)

Background: In addition to documenting a person's driving privilege, drivers' licenses are frequently used to verify identification for banking, check cashing and other transactions, including air travel. The significant increase in financial fraud crimes may be partially related to criminal use of stolen or fictitious drivers' licenses or identicards, as identification to commit fraud. Modern technology enables criminals to forge, steal, alter or counterfeit driver's licenses, and then use the phony identification to commit crimes.

Summary of Substitute Bill: It is a class C felony to manufacture, sell, or deliver a forged, stolen, fictitious, counterfeit, fraudulently altered or unlawfully issued drivers' license or identicard, or develop and sell or deliver a blank license. The jurisdiction of this crime is considered to be in any locality where the victim resides, or in which any part of the crime took place, regardless of whether the defendant was ever physically in that locality.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: The definition of "victim" is clarified, and the jurisdictional provision is cross-referenced.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

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

Testimony For: This bill will be beneficial to consumers and business, by protecting against drivers' license-based financial fraud. Production and sale of licenses is a major problem.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: Dedi Hitchins, WA Retail Assn.; Gary Forrest, detective, Bellevue Police Dept.