HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1294

                      As Passed House:

                      February 19, 1999

Title:  An act relating to technical editing of statutes in chapter 46.20 RCW.

Brief Description:  Technically editing chapter 46.20 RCW.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on  Transportation (Originally sponsored by Representatives Fisher and K. Schmidt).

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Transportation:  1/25/99, 2/2/99 [DPS].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  2/19/99, 95-0.

           Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

$Non-substantive edits to selected statutes governing driver's licensing.

$Purpose of the changes is to make the statutes easier to read, understand and follow.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 27 members:  Representatives Fisher, Democratic Co-Chair; Schmidt, Republican Co-Chair; Cooper, Democratic 1st Vice Chair; Edwards, Democratic 2nd Vice Chair; Ericksen, Republican Vice Chair; Hankins, Republican Vice Chair; Buck; DeBolt; Fortunato; Haigh; Hatfield; Hurst; Lovick; McDonald; Mielke; Mitchell; Morris; Murray; Ogden; Pflug; Radcliff; Romero; Schindler; Schual-Berke; Scott; Skinner and Wood.

Staff:  Paul Neal (786-7315).

Background:

Some of the statutes relating to driver's licenses have been found by some persons to be difficult to read and understand.  This may be due to issues with the original drafting or with subsequent amendments to the statutes.

Summary of Bill:

HB 1294 proposes editing of some of the driver's license statutes found in Chapter 46.20 and dividing the chapter into subchapters in order to make the statutes easier to use.  None of the changes are substantive, that is, they do not alter any of the privileges, rights or responsibilities that citizens or the state have under the current statutes. 

The bill includes an intent section that explicitly states that the Legislature does not intend any substantive changes to the underlying statutes by enacting the clean-up legislation.  The Supreme Court of Washington held that identical language demonstrated that the statutory amendments in Chapter 35, Laws of 1991, did not have any substantive effect, see Fray v. Spokane County, 134 Wn.2d 637, 653, 654 (1998).

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  None.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  None.