ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL 2440
State of Washington | 66th Legislature | 2020 Regular Session |
ByRepresentatives Kilduff, Lovick, Chapman, Orwall, Rude, Leavitt, Santos, Pollet, and Wylie
Read first time 01/14/20.Referred to Committee on Transportation.
AN ACT Relating to a medical alert designation on driver's licenses; amending RCW
46.20.117 and
46.20.161; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the health and safety of the traveling public, law enforcement, and emergency medical service providers are enhanced by the voluntary sharing of information about medical conditions, including deafness and developmental disabilities. Licensed drivers and applicants who wish to voluntarily include a medical alert designation on their driver's license can provide law enforcement and emergency medical service providers with the opportunity to know at the point of contact or shortly thereafter that there is a medical condition which could affect communication or account for a driver health emergency. By taking action in accordance with existing driver privacy protections, the legislature seeks to enhance health and public safety by the voluntary provision and careful use of this information.
Sec. 2. RCW
46.20.117 and 2018 c 157 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) Issuance. The department shall issue an identicard, containing a picture, if the applicant:
(a) Does not hold a valid Washington driver's license;
(b) Proves his or her identity as required by RCW
46.20.035; and
(c) Pays the required fee. Except as provided in subsection (((5)))(7) of this section, the fee is fifty-four dollars, unless an applicant is:
(i) A recipient of continuing public assistance grants under Title
74 RCW, who is referred in writing by the secretary of social and health services;
(ii) Under the age of eighteen and does not have a permanent residence address as determined by the department by rule; or
(iii) An individual who is scheduled to be released from an institution as defined in RCW
13.40.020, a community facility as defined in RCW
72.05.020, or other juvenile rehabilitation facility operated by the department of social and health services or the department of children, youth, and families; or an individual who has been released from such an institution or facility within thirty calendar days before the date of the application.
For those persons under (c)(i) through (iii) of this subsection, the fee must be the actual cost of production of the identicard.
(2)(a) Design and term. The identicard must:
(i) Be distinctly designed so that it will not be confused with the official driver's license; and
(ii) Except as provided in subsection (((5)))(7) of this section, expire on the sixth anniversary of the applicant's birthdate after issuance.
(b) The identicard may include the person's status as a veteran, consistent with RCW
46.20.161((
(2)))
(4).
(c) If applicable, the identicard may include a medical alert designation as provided in subsection (5) of this section.
(3) Renewal. An application for identicard renewal may be submitted by means of:
(a) Personal appearance before the department; or
(b) Mail or electronic commerce, if permitted by rule of the department and if the applicant did not renew his or her identicard by mail or by electronic commerce when it last expired.
An identicard may not be renewed by mail or by electronic commerce unless the renewal issued by the department includes a photograph of the identicard holder.
(4)
Cancellation. The department may cancel an identicard if the holder of the identicard used the card or allowed others to use the card in violation of RCW
46.20.0921.
(5) Any person may apply to the department to obtain a medical alert designation, a developmental disability designation, or a deafness designation on an identicard issued under this chapter by providing:
(a) Self-attestation that the individual:
(i) Has a medical condition that could affect communication or account for a health emergency;
(ii) Is deaf or hard of hearing; or
(iii) Has a developmental disability as defined in RCW 71A.10.020; (b) A statement from the person that they have voluntarily provided the self-attestation and other information verifying the condition; and
(c) For persons under eighteen years of age or who have a developmental disability, the signature of a parent or legal guardian.
(6) A self-attestation or data contained in a self-attestation provided under this section:
(a) Shall not be disclosed; and
(b) Is for the confidential use of the director, the chief of the Washington state patrol, and for law enforcement and emergency medical service providers as designated by law.
(7)Alternative issuance/renewal/extension. The department may issue or renew an identicard for a period other than six years, or may extend by mail or electronic commerce an identicard that has already been issued, in order to evenly distribute, as nearly as possible, the yearly renewal rate of identicard holders. The fee for an identicard issued or renewed for a period other than six years, or that has been extended by mail or electronic commerce, is nine dollars for each year that the identicard is issued, renewed, or extended. The department may adopt any rules as are necessary to carry out this subsection.
Sec. 3. RCW
46.20.161 and 2018 c 69 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) The department, upon receipt of a fee of forty-five dollars from October 1, 2012, to June 30, 2013, and fifty-four dollars after June 30, 2013, unless the driver's license is issued for a period other than five years from October 1, 2012, to June 30, 2013, or six years after June 30, 2013, in which case the fee shall be nine dollars for each year that the license is issued, which includes the fee for the required photograph, shall issue to every qualifying applicant a driver's license. A driver's license issued to a person under the age of eighteen is an intermediate license, subject to the restrictions imposed under RCW
46.20.075, until the person reaches the age of eighteen.
(2) The license must include:
(a) A distinguishing number assigned to the licensee((,));
(b) The name of record((,));
(c) Date of birth((,));
(d) Washington residence address((,));
(e) Photograph((,));
(f) A brief description of the licensee((,));
(g) Either a facsimile of the signature of the licensee or a space upon which the licensee shall write his or her usual signature with pen and ink immediately upon receipt of the license((, and,));
(h) If applicable, the person's status as a veteran as provided in subsection (((2)))(4) of this section; and
(i) If applicable, a medical alert designation as provided in subsection (5) of this section.
(3) No license is valid until it has been ((so)) signed by the licensee.
((
(2)))
(4)(a) A veteran, as defined in RCW
41.04.007, or an individual who otherwise meets the criteria of RCW
41.04.007 but who has received a general discharge under honorable conditions, may apply to the department to obtain a veteran designation on a driver's license issued under this section by providing:
(((a)))(i) A United States department of veterans affairs identification card or proof of service letter;
(((b)))(ii) A United States department of defense discharge document, DD Form 214 or DD Form 215, as it exists on June 7, 2018, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section, or equivalent or successor discharge paperwork, that shows a discharge status of "honorable" or "general under honorable conditions" that establishes the person's service in the armed forces of the United States;
(((c)))(iii) A national guard state-issued report of separation and military service, NGB Form 22, as it exists on June 7, 2018, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section, or equivalent or successor discharge paperwork, that shows a discharge status of "honorable" or "general under honorable conditions" that establishes the person's active duty or reserve service in the national guard; or
(((d)))(iv) A United States uniformed services identification card, DD Form 2, that displays on its face that it has been issued to a retired member of any of the armed forces of the United States, including the national guard and armed forces reserves.
(b) The department may permit a veteran, as defined in RCW
41.04.007, or an individual who otherwise meets the criteria of RCW
41.04.007 but who has received a general discharge under honorable conditions, to submit an alternate form of documentation to apply to obtain a veteran designation on a driver's license, as specified by rule, that requires a discharge status of "honorable" or "general under honorable conditions" and that establishes the person's service as required under RCW
41.04.007.
(5) Any person may apply to the department to obtain a medical alert designation, a developmental disability designation, or a deafness designation on a driver's license issued under this chapter by providing:
(a) Self-attestation that the individual:
(i) Has a medical condition that could affect communication or account for a driver health emergency;
(ii) Is deaf or hard of hearing; or
(iii) Has a developmental disability as defined in RCW 71A.10.020; (b) A statement from the person that they have voluntarily provided the self-attestation and other information verifying the condition; and
(c) For persons under eighteen years of age or who have a developmental disability, the signature of a parent or legal guardian.
(6) A self-attestation or data contained in a self-attestation provided under this section:
(a) Shall not be disclosed;
(b) Is for the confidential use of the director, the chief of the Washington state patrol, and for law enforcement and emergency medical service providers as designated by law; and
(c) Is subject to the privacy protections of the driver's privacy protection act, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2725.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. This act takes effect January 1, 2022.
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