HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1064

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 House Committee On:

Judiciary

Title: An act relating to technical changes to form year designations.

Brief Description: Making technical changes to form year designations.

Sponsors: Representative Goodman; by request of Statute Law Committee.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Judiciary: 1/22/13, 1/29/13 [DP].

Brief Summary of Bill

  • Amends form year designations throughout the Revised Code of Washington, removing references to any specific century and instead denoting the space to insert the year as follows: " (year) ."

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 10 members: Representatives Pedersen, Chair; Hansen, Vice Chair; Rodne, Ranking Minority Member; O'Ban, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Goodman, Hope, Jinkins, Kirby, Nealey and Orwall.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 2 members: Representatives Klippert and Shea.

Staff: Cece Clynch (786-7195).

Background:

Throughout the Revised Code of Washington are a myriad of provisions directing that certain forms, in substantially the form specified in the particular statute, be filed or used. A few examples of such forms include:

Generally, somewhere in the form there is a space where reference to a date is to be inserted. In many of the statutory forms, in the space for the date the century is specified, such as "19__" and "20__."

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Summary of Bill:

References in a variety of forms throughout the Revised Code of Washington are amended to remove references to any specific century. Rather than specifying the century in the space where the date is to be inserted, the form language denotes the space to insert the year as follows: " ( year ) ."

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Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) The Statute Law Committee has been in existence for 62 years. Its task is to improve the Revised Code of Washington. From time to time, bills are brought forward proposing technical changes. This bill is one of those. There are no substantive changes in this bill. References to the centuries are removed from the spaces in the forms in which to insert dates. This ensures the statutes are accurate and can be used in perpetuity.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Representative Goodman, prime sponsor; and Kyle Thiessen, Statute Law Committee.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.