WA Senate Bill 5969b

Legislation

State: Washington
Signed: December 20, 2011

Effective: March 14, 2012
Chapter: 5

Summary

Senate Bill 5969b adds a new section to Washington’s Notary statutes, requiring the Director of Licensing to develop rules specifically for the commissioning of spouses of military personnel who are licensed, appointed or commissioned as a Notary in another state and who have left employment in the other state to accompany their spouses to Washington, as Notaries in Washington.

Affects

Amends Section 28A.410.010, adds sections to Chapters 19.105, 46.82, 42.44, 67.08, and 64.36, and adds a chapter to Title 18 of the Revised Code of Washington.

Changes

Requires the Director of Licensing to develop rules specifically for the commissioning of spouses of military personnel who are licensed, appointed or commissioned as a Notary in another state and who have left employment in the other state to accompany their spouses to Washington, as Notaries in Washington, to the extent that resources are available. The procedure must include a process for issuing the person a license, if, in the opinion of the authority, the requirements for licensure in the other state are substantially equivalent to that required in Washington.
Requires the licensing authority, subject to the requirements and qualifications stated in the Act, to issue the person a temporary license allowing the person to perform services while completing any specific additional requirements in Washington that are not related to training or practice standards of the profession that were not required in the other state in which the person is licensed. However, a licensing authority is not required to issue a temporary license if the standards of the other state are substantially unequal to Washington standards.

Analysis

According to Section 1 of Senate Bill 5969b, “the lives of military families are dominated by frequent deployments, relocations, and extended periods of single parenthood. Military spouses are some of the most mobile populations in our country, making the maintenance of professional licenses a significant obstacle.” Because of these factors, SB 5659b aims to recognize the sacrifices made by and needs of military families by requiring that each professional authority responsible for licensing, certifying, registering or issuing a permit to perform a professional services in Washington state establish procedures to expedite the issuance of a license, certificate, or permit to a person who is certified or licensed in another state to perform professional services, whose spouse is the subject of a military transfer, and who left employment in the other state to accompany their spouse to Washington state. Section 7 relates specifically to the issuing of Notary commissions to relocated military spouses. SB 5969b goes so far as to require a licensing authority to grant a temporary license so that the individual can perform professional services, in this case as a Notary, until all other requirements are met. The bill also gives the licensing authority the ability to refuse to issue a license if the authority finds that the applicant falsely stated in the application that he or she requested verification from the other state or states that the person is currently licensed, certified, registered, or has a permit; or is not subject to any pending investigation, charges, or disciplinary action by the regulatory body of the other state or states.

Read Senate Bill 5669.