FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 2343

                         C 193 L 00

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Modifying provisions on impounded vehicles.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Financial Institutions & Insurance (originally sponsored by Representatives Hatfield, Benson and Esser).

House Committee on Financial Institutions & Insurance

Senate Committee on Transportation

Background:

Law enforcement officers are authorized to impound a vehicle in a variety of circumstances, such as when the officer arrests the driver, the person operating the vehicle does not have a valid driver's license, or the person operating the vehicle is driving with a suspended or revoked license.  A vehicle impounded by a law enforcement officer may be redeemed only by the owner of the vehicle or a person who has the permission of the owner, upon payment of all costs associated with the impound using commercially reasonable tender. Commercially reasonable tender includes cash, major bank credit cards, and personal checks drawn on in-state banks if accompanied by two pieces of valid identification.

The sale of unclaimed impounded vehicles is allowed under certain circumstances.  Storage charges may be imposed for specified costs related to the impound.  A towing firm must accept a check it cannot verify to be a bad check.

Summary of Bill:

For purposes of redeeming an impounded vehicle, commercially reasonable tender is modified to include major bank credit cards issued by financial institutions and checks drawn on Washington branches of financial institutions.  A towing firm may refuse to accept a check that the towing firm cannot verify to be a good check. 

Provisions regarding the sale of impounded vehicles are modified to include vehicles impounded as a result of a suspended license.  Storage charges that stopped accruing because of an error in an abandoned vehicle report to the Department of Licensing can be resumed when the error is corrected.

Votes on Final Passage:

House970

Senate450(Senate amended)

House961(House concurred)

Effective:June 8, 2000