SENATE BILL REPORT

SSB 5716

As Passed Senate, March 13, 2003

Title: An act relating to crimes involving drivers' licenses and identicards.

Brief Description: Prohibiting manufacture or sale of fraudulent drivers' licenses and identicards.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Financial Services, Insurance & Housing (originally sponsored by Senators Prentice, Winsley, Benton, Kline, McCaslin and Rasmussen).

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Financial Services, Insurance & Housing: 2/13/03, 2/20/03 [DPS].

Passed Senate: 3/13/03, 48-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INSURANCE & HOUSING

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5716 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators Benton, Chair; Winsley, Vice Chair; Keiser, Prentice, Roach and Zarelli.

Staff: Joanne Conrad (786-7472)

Background: In addition to documenting a person's driving privilege, drivers' licenses are frequently used to verify identification for banking, check cashing and other transactions, including air travel. The significant increase in financial fraud crimes may be partially related to criminal use of stolen or fictitious drivers' licenses or identicards, as identification to commit fraud. Modern technology enables criminals to forge, steal, alter or counterfeit driver's licenses, and then use the phony identification to commit crimes.

Summary of Bill: It is a class C felony to manufacture, sell, or deliver a forged, stolen, fictitious, counterfeit, fraudulently altered or unlawfully issued driver's license or identicard, or develop and sell or deliver a blank license. The jurisdiction of this crime is considered to be in any locality where the victim resides, or in which any part of the crime took place, regardless of whether the defendant was ever physically in that locality.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

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

Testimony For: This bill will be beneficial to consumers and business, by protecting against driver's license-based financial fraud. Production and sale of licenses is a major problem.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: Dedi Hitchins, WA Retail Assn.; Gary Forrest, detective, Bellevue Police Dept.

House Amendment(s): Drivers' license crimes are only considered class C felonies if committed with criminal intent. For persons under 21, making up to four fake drivers' licenses is a misdemeanor if done for the sole purpose of age misrepresentation.