HOUSE BILL REPORT

SB 6251

BYSenators Rasmussen, Patterson, Saling, Thorsness, Wojahn, Bender, Conner and Kreidler

Revising requirements for special license plates for prisoners of war spouses.

House Committe on Transportation

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (28)

      Signed by Representatives R. Fisher, Chair; Baugher, Vice Chair, Eastern Washington; R. Meyers, Vice Chair, Western Washington; Schmidt, Ranking Republican Member; Wood, Assistant Ranking Republican Member; Basich, Bennett, Betrozoff, Cantwell, Cooper, Day, G. Fisher, Forner, Gallagher, Hankins, Haugen, Heavey, Jones, Kremen, Nelson, Prentice, Prince, Smith, D. Sommers, Todd, Walker, S. Wilson and Zellinsky.

House Staff:Louise Bray Sandison (786-7322)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION FEBRUARY 26, 1990

BACKGROUND:

Under current laws, surviving spouses of deceased prisoners of war are eligible to be issued one set of regular or special license plates for use on a personal passenger vehicle registered to that person.  In order to qualify, the surviving spouse must have been married to the prisoner of war during his or her period of incarceration.  A prisoner of war is defined as a person who, during military service, was captured and incarcerated by an enemy of the United States for more than 29 days during a period of war.

These plates are issued without payment of motor vehicle excise tax or license fees.

SUMMARY:

A surviving spouse of a prisoner of war need not have been married to the prisoner of war during the period of his or her incarceration in order to be eligible for the free regular or special plates.

However, if the surviving spouse remarries, the plates must be returned and application for regular license plates made within 15 days.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Charles P. Towne and Francis Agnes, American Ex-Prisoners of War.

House Committee - Testified Against:      No one.

House Committee - Testimony For:    This bill is necessary to allow widows and widowers of ex-prisoners of war to maintain their special plates until they remarry.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None.