SENATE BILL REPORT

SSB 6148

As Passed Senate, February 3, 2004

Title: An act relating to special license plates to honor law enforcement officers in Washington killed in the line of duty.

Brief Description: Authorizing special license plates to honor law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Highways & Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Haugen, Horn, Brandland, Esser, Oke, Eide, Winsley and Hewitt).

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Highways & Transportation: 1/21/04, 1/22/04 [DPS].

Passed Senate: 2/3/04, 48-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6148 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

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

Staff: Kimberly Johnson (786-7346)

Background: The Special License Plate Review Board was created in the 2003 session and charged with reviewing special license plate applications from groups requesting the creation of a special license plate series. Upon approval, the board forwards the application to the Legislature.

On January 8, 2004, the board formally approved the Law Enforcement Memorial special license plate application.

Summary of Bill: The Department of Licensing (DOL) must issue a special license plate displaying a symbol honoring law enforcement officers in Washington who were killed in the line of duty.

An applicant for a Law Enforcement Memorial license plate must pay an initial fee of $40 and a renewal fee each year thereafter of $30. The initial revenue generated from the plate sales must be deposited into the motor vehicle account until the state has been reimbursed for the implementation costs. Upon reimbursement, the revenue must be deposited into the law enforcement memorial account.

DOL must enter into a contract with a qualified nonprofit organization requiring that the organization use the plate revenue to provide support and assistance to survivors and families of law enforcement officers in Washington who were killed in the line of duty and to construct, maintain, and utilize a memorial on the state capitol grounds to honor fallen officers.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on January 13, 2004.

Effective Date: The bill contains several effective dates. Please refer to the bill.

Testimony For: This has been a long emotional process and we are very pleased to present this bill to the committee. The money will be used to help both the survivors and families of fallen officers deal with their loss. While troopers represent 6.7 percent of the law enforcement officers in Washington, they represent 10 percent of the names that will appear on the Law Enforcement Memorial.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: Gayle Schulz, Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial; Bill Hanson, Washington State Council of Police and Sheriffs; Bob Thurston, Washington State Patrol Troopers Association (pro).

House Amendment(s): The amendment increased the types of vehicles authorized to display law enforcement memorial license plates by including vehicles required to display only one license plate, such as motorcycles and trailers.