Posted by Laura Vestanen on 2/15/07 11:33am
Msg #175789
WA notaries - ID card legislation - Help needed by Mon
A NEW BILL WILL HELP WA NOTARIES AND SENIORS
There is a new bill before WA's Representatives to allow seniors age 70 and up to renew their state ID cards by mail or internet by submitting a current photograph and a form.
3 MINUTES OF YOUR TIME NEEDED BY THIS MONDAY 2/19 at 3pm
A committee is deciding whether or not the bill merits a call for votes by all WA Representatives.
Please send a supportive email by Monday at 3pm.
Tools to help you write and send the email are below.
You can do this while waiting for late eDocs.
Bill HB 1887
Read the very short bill at
http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2007-08/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/1887.pdf
SEND ONE EMAIL TO HELP GET THIS BILL PASSED
*Send an email urging committee members to put the bill to the vote and to vote yes.
*Copy-paste the email address list below.
*Copy-paste the text below for the email message. Editing encouraged.
*Send email before this Monday, 3pm, Feb 19.
Ask your colleagues and friends to send emails, too.
EMAIL ADDRESSES OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR COPY-PASTE
[e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address],
[e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address], [e-mail address]
SAMPLE EMAIL MESSAGE TO COPY-PASTE (edit and embellish at will)
Subject line: Vote yes on HB 1887 and help WA's elderly
Message text:
Please approve bill HB 1887 for general vote. Then vote yes.
When seniors become homebound, it is very hard for them to renew their identification cards. Possessing only expired ID means they cannot make changes to their Wills, Powers of Attorney, and other legal documents because their signatures cannot be notarized.
As a notary, I have had to refuse to notarize important documents for seniors because they only possessed expired ID cards. They were physically able to travel to the DOL office to get a new one.
States outside Washington have more flexible rules for notaries to identify the signers of important documents. But those methods are very vulnerable to identity fraud. Help protect our seniors against identity theft by making it easy for them to renew their ID cards by submitting a current photograph via mail or internet.
Sincerely,
{your name}
TESTIFY AT THE HEARING ON MONDAY IN OLYMPIA
Join me by testifying in person at the hearing.
It starts at 3:30pm.
John L. O'Brien Building, House Hearing Room B
504 15th SW, Olympia
Details on testifying can be read at
http://www.leg.wa.gov/workingwithleg/testify.htm
Information on location and parking can be read at
http://www.leg.wa.gov/WorkingwithLeg/
Sorry for the late notice - they just sent me the hearing schedule yesterday!
MORE INFORMATION
Our Secretary of State and Department of Licensing notary division heads support this bill.
The Reverse Mortgage boom has just begun. Expired ID cards will be a big issue. If this bill passes, borrowers will easily be able to obtain ID cards we can use for notarizations.
Reverse Mortgage documents, Wills, Powers of Attorney, and many End of Life documents require notarization. But WA notaries cannot use expired ID cards.
I have had to refuse services for many seniors due to expired ID. This problem is only going to get worse with the aging of the Baby Boomers. When seniors stop driving, they rarely think to keep their ID cards current. When seniors become homebound or bedridden, it can be impossible for them to visit an office to get a new ID card.
MARKETING VALUE FOR YOU
Your sincere support of this bill can also help your notary marketing plan. You could:
*Add a statement or page to your website showing your Pro-Elderly support of HB 1887.
*Issue press releases to local publications and radio stations requesting the help of members of your community to get HB 1887 passed. Include your phone number and website address in the body of the message. Some editors will just copy-paste the body of your text so this helps your contact information survive the chop if they cut off your headers and footers.
*Send emails to organizations and businesses requesting their help and thereby increasing your notary service exposure to local businesses.
*Distribute flyers with asking people to call/email their representative (your notary service contact information included, of course). Hospice offices, senior centers, and assisted living facilities would be perfect recipients.
All these devices reinforce your professional reputation and are terrific marketing tools which cost you nothing or a few dollars.
NOTARIES OUTSIDE WA
Notaries outside Washington may wish to learn how they can start a campaign in their own state. I initiated this effort on my own and you can too. One notary can make a big difference! I enlisted the help of several non-profit organizations. I sent emails to key political people. I phoned legislators. I issued press releases. This all took fewer hours than you would imagine. I am happy to share the text of my press releases and emails for this purpose.
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!
Laura Vestanen
[e-mail address]
www.ProfessionalNotary.com
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
These are the names with contact information for the representatives that sit on the subcommittee and will hear testimony on Monday.
Find your district number by viewing a map of Washington's district areas at:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/statewide.aspx
District 2 Tom Campbell [e-mail address] (360) 786-7912
District 3 Alex Wood [e-mail address] (360) 786-7888
District 4 Lynn Schindler [e-mail address] (360) 786-7984
District 5 Jay Rodne [e-mail address] (360) 786-7852
District 9 Steve Hailey [e-mail address] (360) 786-7942
District 12 Mike Armstrong [e-mail address] (360) 786-7832
District 17 Deb Wallace [e-mail address] (360) 786-7976
District 18 Richard Curtis [e-mail address] (360) 786-7850
District 19 Dean Takko [e-mail address] (360) 786-7806
District 21 Brian Sullivan [e-mail address] (360) 786-7972
District 23 Christine Rolfes [e-mail address] (360) 786-7842
District 23 Sherry Appleton [e-mail address] (360) 786-7934
District 27 Dennis Flannigan [e-mail address] (360) 786-7930
District 33 Dave Upthegrove [e-mail address] (360) 786-7868
District 36 Mary Lou Dickerson [e-mail address] (360) 786-7860
District 38 Mike Sells [e-mail address] (360) 786-7840
District 39 Dan Kristiansen [e-mail address] (360) 786-7967
District 41 Fred Jarrett [e-mail address] (360) 786-7894
District 41 Judy Clibborn [e-mail address] (360) 786-7926
District 42 Doug Ericksen [e-mail address] (360) 786-7980
District 44 John Lovick [e-mail address] (360) 786-7892
District 45 Larry Springer [e-mail address] (360) 786-7822
District 47 Geoff Simpson [e-mail address] (360) 786-7918
District 48 Deborah Eddy [e-mail address] (360) 786-7848
District 48 Ross Hunter [e-mail address] (360) 786-7936
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