S-3716               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6519

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Senators Anderson and Cantu

Read first time 1/17/90 and referred to Committee on  Transportation.

AN ACT Relating to motor vehicle registration records; adding a new section to chapter 46.12 RCW; and creating new sections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that in order for individuals to be able to exercise their right to privacy, they must be able to choose when to release personal information, and to whom, and that reasonable laws requiring the individual to surrender control should be enacted only when it is deemed absolutely necessary for society's welfare.  The personal privacy and security of one's home is fundamental to this right of privacy.  In order to protect individuals from unwanted invasions of their homes, the legislature has enacted this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 46.12 RCW to read as follows:

          When this chapter requires a person to list an address for purposes of a certificate of ownership or license registration, the person may list either a mailing address or a residence address.  If the department requires the person to list a residence address for any purpose, the person may indicate that this address is to be kept confidential by the department.  In this case, when the department discloses the name and address of a vehicle owner to anyone other than a law enforcement officer or law enforcement agency or those entities that routinely request disclosure of vehicle registration information for use in the course of their business, the department may provide only the person's name and mailing address.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     Nothing in section 2 of this act may be construed to affect a contractual or other obligation of an applicant or insured to provide valid, accurate, and timely information as to their home address to their insurer, or any application for an insurance policy.  Nothing in section 2 of this act may be construed to authorize any person to request confidential treatment as to their home address for any fraudulent or criminal purpose.