Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Transportation Committee

SSB 5246

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

Authorizes the Department of Licensing (DOL) to provide an employer or its agent with a review of driving records of existing employees documenting changes to the records.
Requires the DOL to establish a fee for the service that will cover the costsof providing the service, in addition to any revenue that the DOL would have otherwise received for providing abstracts to that employer.

Background:

The Director of the Department of Licensing (DOL) maintains a driving record on every person licensed to operate a motor vehicle in the State of Washington. These records, or driver abstracts, contain information relating to a person's driving record which include accident information, driving status, and information about traffic citations.

The DOL charges a $10 fee to obtain a driver's abstract and is restricted to the following persons and uses:

the individual named in the abstract;
employers or prospective employers relating to driving as a condition of employment;
volunteer organizations where driving is required;
transit authorities for volunteer vanpool drivers;
insurance carriers for an individual covering the period of not more than the last three years;
state colleges, universities, or agencies, or units of local government for employment and risk management purposes authorized to self-insure;
the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction for school bus drivers; and
circumstances related to traffic offenses: (1) alcohol/drug assessment or treatment agencies; and (2) city attorneys and county prosecuting attorneys.

Any negligent violation of these authorized uses is a gross misdemeanor and any intentional violation is a class C felony.

The DOL may enter into a contractual agreement with an insurance company or its agent for the limited purpose of reviewing the driving records of existing policyholders for changes to the record and must establish a fee for this service which may not result in a net revenue loss to the state.

Summary of Bill:

The Department of Licensing (DOL) is authorized to provide an employer or its agent with a review of driving records of existing employees during specified periods of time that document changes to the records. The DOL must establish the fee for this service such that, at a minimum, it covers the cost of providing the service, in addition to any revenue that the DOL would have otherwise received for providing abstracts to that employer.