Brief Description: Expanding the list of persons and entities that may acquire driving record abstracts for certain purposes.

Sponsors: Senators King and Swecker.

Senate Committee on Transportation
House Committee on Transportation

Background: The Department of Licensing maintains a case record on every person licensed to operate a motor vehicle in Washington. These case records, or abstracts, contain information relating to a person's driving record. Current law restricts the distribution of abstracts to certain persons, including: the individual named in the abstract; an employer or prospective employer; a transit authority checking prospective vanpool drivers; an alcohol/drug assessment or treatment agency; and city and county prosecuting attorneys.

The state of Washington and many local governments self-insure for property and liability risks, including liabilities that may arise from the use of government-owned vehicles.

Abstracts' requests for employees, prospective employees, volunteers, or prospective volunteers must be accompanied by: (1) a release from the individual; and (2) an attestation from the employer or volunteer organization that the information is necessary to determine whether the individual should be employed to operate a commercial vehicle or school bus, or operate a vehicle for a volunteer organization to transportation children, the elderly, or disabled persons.

Summary: The list of those who may receive abstracts is expanded to include state colleges, universities and agencies for employment and risk management purposes, and units of local government that are authorized to self-insure.

These added entities are not required to furnish: (1) a release from the individual; or (2) an attestation that the information is necessary to determine whether the licensed should be employed to operate a commercial vehicle or school bus, or operate a vehicle for a volunteer organization to transport children, the elderly, or disabled persons.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      48   0
House      95   1

Effective: August 1, 2008