SENATE BILL REPORT
SHB 1218
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent. |
As Reported by Senate Committee On:
Judiciary, March 9, 2011
Title: An act relating to making technical corrections to the Revised Code of Washington.
Brief Description: Making technical corrections to the Revised Code of Washington.
Sponsors: House Committee on Judiciary (originally sponsored by Representatives Goodman and Rodne; by request of Statute Law Committee).
Brief History: Passed House: 2/28/11, 94-0.
Committee Activity: Judiciary: 3/08/11, 3/09/11 [DP].
SENATE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY |
Majority Report: Do pass.
Signed by Senators Kline, Chair; Harper, Vice Chair; Pflug, Ranking Minority Member; Baxter, Carrell, Hargrove, Kohl-Welles, Regala and Roach.
Staff: Lidia Mori (786-7755)
Background: Technical errors and inaccuracies may develop in the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) for a variety of reasons. Many of these errors are the result of successive amendments to the same section of law over several years. Others are the result of simple drafting errors or failure to find and amend every statute that contains a reference to another statute that has been repealed or amended in a way that makes the reference incorrect.
The Office of the Code Reviser, under the direction of the Statute Law Committee, is authorized to correct certain manifest errors in the statutes. These errors may include such things as mistakes in spelling or obvious clerical or typographical errors. The Code Reviser is also authorized to recommend to the Legislature changes regarding deficiencies, conflicts, obsolescence, and the need for reorganization in the statutes.
Summary of Bill: Technical corrections are made to various provisions of the RCW. The technical corrections include changes to merge double amendments and to correct inaccurate references and cross-references resulting from amendments, drafting errors, or repealed statutes. In addition, changes are made to address drafting errors relating to the effect of expiration dates in amendatory sections.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: This is a bill brought forward by the Statute Law Committee. It is a purely technical bill that makes a number of corrections to the Revised Code of Washington. It is all about perfecting the code. There are over 40,000 sections in the RCW and only seven sections are being corrected in this bill, so this shows how seldom the errors happen.
Persons Testifying: PRO: Representative Goodman, prime sponsor; Kyle Thiessen, Statute Law Committee.