04/19/1995 01:42 PM Senate JUD

             HB 150 RECEIPTS FOR BAIL FORFEITURES                             
                                                                              
 There being no further testimony of CSSB 95 (L&C), the committee              
 took up HB 150.                                                               
                                                                               
 CHRIS CHRISTENSEN, general counsel to the Judicial Branch, stated             
 HB 150, HB 151, and HB 153 are housekeeping measures introduced at            
 the request of the Supreme Court.                                             
                                                                               
 MR. CHRISTENSEN explained the Legislature enacted a system in the             
 1970s by which persons cited for traffic offenses could mail in the           
 amount specified on the citation in lieu of appearing in court.               
 This statute originally required the court system to mail a receipt           
 to those individuals paying fines by mail.  Because there were                
 45,000 receipts per year, a receipt stamp placed on the back of               
 each check was used, to save time and reduce the cost of mailing              
 separate receipts.  The receipt requirement was repealed by the               
 Legislature in 1987, and instead, a receipt is provided on request.           
 Over the years, other mail-in bail statutes were passed by the                
 Legislature, authorizing the payment of fines by mail without a               
 court appearance for non-traffic offenses.  Currently there are               
 five statutes patterned after the original traffic bail schedule,             
 requiring the court to provide a receipt.  These include birth                
 defect warning signs, fish and game violations, smoking in public             
 violations, park and recreational facility violations, and oversize           
 vehicle violations.  There are a total of 10,000 of these                     
 violations per year.  These statutes were not amended to eliminate            
 the receipt requirement so receipt stamps are placed on the back of           
 all checks.  Banks have notified the court system that the receipt            
 stamp is in violation of new federal banking regulations.  HB 150             
 amends the five statutes to require the court system to provide a             
 receipt if requested.                                                         
                                                                               
 SENATOR TAYLOR questioned whether the amended language was                    
 grammatically correct.  After some discussion, the committee                  
 decided to refer the matter to the Division of Legal Services.                
 SENATOR GREEN moved HB 150 out of committee with individual                   
 recommendations.  There being no objections, the motion carried.