SENATE BILL REPORT

                           SSB 6052

              AS PASSED SENATE, FEBRUARY 9, 1994

Brief Description:  Lessening record‑keeping requirements for traffic citation records.

SPONSORS: Senate Committee on Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Senators Ludwig and Newhouse; by request of Washington State Patrol)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6052 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass. 

     Signed by Senators A. Smith, Chairman; Ludwig, Vice Chairman; Hargrove, Nelson, Quigley, Roach, Schow and Spanel.

Staff:  Susan Mahoney (786‑7717)

Hearing Dates: January 26, 1994; February 2, 1994

BACKGROUND:

Under current law, the chief administrative officer of every traffic enforcement agency responsible for the issuance of a traffic citation is required by statute to keep records of the court disposition of all traffic citations filed.  This statutory requirement was enacted when traffic citations were criminal offenses.  Since that time, most types of traffic violations have been decriminalized and there is no longer a need to keep a record of each civil traffic infraction disposition.

The current law also requires all traffic citation records be audited on a monthly basis.  Because of the increasing volumes of citations being filed, this has become a very cumbersome and costly process.  The State Auditor has suggested only periodic audits of the traffic citation records should be required.

SUMMARY:

The chief administrative officer of the police agency responsible for the issuance of a traffic citation is no longer required to keep a record of the final court disposition of each infraction filed.  All required traffic citation records shall be audited no less than annually by the appropriate fiscal officer.

Appropriation:  none 

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested

TESTIMONY FOR:

This legislation cleans up an outdated statute by eliminating unnecessary recordkeeping and audit requirements.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  Senator Ludwig, prime sponsor (pro); Captain Tim Erickson, WSP (pro)