OLYMPIA, Wash. — State lawmakers have proposed a measure that would prevent a driver’s license from being suspended for unpaid traffic tickets.
Senate Bill 5226, sponsored by Democratic state Senator Emily Randall, would eliminate suspended licenses for those who are unable to pay their traffic fines.
KOMO reports twelve other states in the U.S. have enacted similar laws eliminating debt-based license suspension, including California and Oregon.
The Legislature has said that suspended licenses account for about 33% of the prosecutorial caseload in the state.