SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6688

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Highways & Transportation, February 5, 2004

Title: An act relating to a special "Helping Kids Speak" license plate.

Brief Description: Authorizing a special "Helping Kids Speak" license plate.

Sponsors: Senators Haugen, Benton, B. Sheldon, T. Sheldon, Rasmussen and Shin.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Highways & Transportation: 2/5/04 [DPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6688 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators Horn, Chair; Benton, Vice Chair; Swecker, Vice Chair; Esser, Haugen, Jacobsen, Kastama, Mulliken, 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 26, 2004, the board formally approved the Help Kids Speak special license plate application.

Summary of Substitute Bill: The Department of Licensing (DOL) must issue a special license plate displaying a symbol recognizing an organization that supports programs that provides free speech pathology services for children.

An applicant for a Help Kids Speak 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 Helping Kids Speak account.

DOL must enter into a contract with a qualified nonprofit organization requiring that the organization use the plate revenue to provide free diagnostic and therapeutic services to families of children who suffer from a delay in language or speech development.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: The original bill was not considered.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on January 30, 2004.

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

Testimony For: Ten percent of all children have verbal disabilities. While many children grow out of their speech problem, their years with the disability are very rough. In fact many of these children get so far behind in their social development, that it is difficult for them to ever catch up. The Scottish Rite provides certified speech pathologists to children at no cost. This program is entirely supported by donations and grants and the sale of these special plates would help us to provide even more children with no-cost speech pathologists. Helping these kids learn how to speak touches your heart.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: Don White, Scottish Rite Center For Childhood Language Disorders (pro).