04/25/1994 09:10 AM Senate FIN

  CSSB 166(JUD): An Act  relating to  registration of  a motor                 
                 vehicle and suspension of a driver's  license                 
                 for failure to appear in  court or failure to                 
                 pay a fine.                                                   
                                                                               
                 Juanita  Hensley,  Chief,   Driver  Services,                 
                 Division  of  Motor  Vehicles, Department  of                 
                 Public  Safety, testified  in  support of  SB
.   Senator Rieger MOVED  for adoption  of                 
                 amendment  1.   Amendment 1  was ADOPTED  for                 
                 incorporation  within  CSSB  166(FIN).   CSSB
(FIN) was  REPORTED out of  committee with                 
                 individual recommendations, a fiscal note for                 
                 the  Courts  in  the amount  of  $6.9,  and a                 
                 fiscal note for the  Department of Safety for                 
                 $101.9 with a revenue of $(247.5).                            
                                                                               
  CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 166(JUD):                                             
                                                                               
       An Act relating  to registration of a motor vehicle and                 
       suspension of a driver's license  for failure to appear                 
       in court or failure to pay a fine.                                      
                                                                               
  Co-chair  Pearce  announced  that  SB  166  was  before  the                 
  committee.    She  invited  Juanita  Hensley, Chief,  Driver                 
  Services, Division  of Motor Vehicles, Department  of Public                 
  Safety, to join the members at the table.                                    
                                                                               
                                                                               
  JUANITA HENSLEY said that SB 166 would require the amendment                 
  to the Uniform Traffic Summons to include a notice that if a                 
  person failed to  appear in  court and failed  to pay  their                 
  fine  for a  moving violation, the  court may  suspend their                 
  driver's license.   The driver's license would  be suspended                 
  until  the fine was paid.  It also had a provision that if a                 
  person failed to pay their parking  fine or parking offense,                 
  a hold would be placed on their vehicle registration.                        
                                                                               
  Ms. Hensley  said that  the court  had approximately  25,000                 
  unpaid  traffic tickets,  moving  violations or  failure  to                 
  appear fines.   She said she did  not know how many  parking                 
  tickets were outstanding  because those  did not go  through                 
  the court system.                                                            
                                                                               
  Co-chair Pearce pointed out changes in the bill.                             
                                                                               
  SENATOR RIEGER  asked  if Oregon  was  the only  state  that                 
  suspended driver's licenses for failure  to appear in court.                 
  Ms.  Hensley said she did  not know how  many states did but                 
  referred  to California that  placed failure to  appear on a                 
  person's driving  record, and  refused to  renew a  person's                 
  license until it was removed.  Washington had a similar law.                 
  In Alaska, if a person had a moving violation  and there was                 
  a warrant for  that citation,  their driver's license  would                 
  not be reissued.   Unfortunately, many licenses  are renewed                 
  every five years.                                                            
                                                                               
  Senator Rieger spoke  in opposition to  this bill.  He  felt                 
  that it was  not appropriate  to suspend someone's  driver's                 
  license for  parking violations.   Ms.  Hensley pointed  out                 
  that a hold was put on a vehicle registration.  It would not                 
  suspend a person's drivers license.                                          
                                                                               
  Senator  Rieger asked  if  the department  would be  able to                 
  enforce  this  legislation.    Ms.  Hensley  said  that  the                 
  municipalities would report  to the department and  place an                 
  electronic  hold on  the registration.   The  only part  the                 
  department would play would be  to tell the individual  that                 
  they  must  pay  their  parking   fines  before  they  could                 
  reregister their vehicle.                                                    
                                                                               
  In answer to  Senator Rieger,  Ms. Hensley said  that a  fee                 
  would not be  charged by the department.  In  Sections 1 and                 
  3, the individual  would have  to pay his  fines for  moving                 
  violations, and then  come back to  pay a reinstatement  fee                 
  for their drivers license.  She pointed out that the license                 
  was not suspended for a specific  period of time, only until                 
  they paid their fines.                                                       
                                                                               
  Senator Rieger MOVED for amendment 1 adding a new Section 4.                 
  No objection being heard, amendment 1 was ADOPTED.                           
                                                                               
  Senator  Sharp MOVED for passage of CSSB 166(FIN) as amended                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  out  of  committee  with  individual  recommendations.    No                 
  objection being heard, it was REPORTED out of committee with                 
  individual  recommendations.    Co-chair Pearce  signed  "do                 
  pass."       Senators   Rieger   and    Sharp   signed   "no                 
  recommendation."  Senator Kerttula signed "do not pass."