SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5250

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

               Transportation, January 16, 1996

Title:  An act relating to motor vehicle equipment.

Brief Description:  Regulating collection of historic and special interest motor vehicles.

Sponsors:  Senators Owen, Haugen, Hargrove, Rasmussen, Prince, Morton and Prentice.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Transportation:  1/31/95, 2/14/95 [DPS]; 1/16/96 [DPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5250 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Owen, Chair; Heavey, Vice Chair; Goings, Oke, Prince, Rasmussen, Schow, Sellar and Thibaudeau.

Staff:  Jeff Doyle (786-7322)

Background:  There is no current statutory definition of a "street rod."  Cars that are constructed out of parts or from kits are titled as new model year cars, even though the cars are replicas of vintage or antique cars.

Currently, the State Patrol has much discretion in whether it issues a vehicle identification number (VIN) to a street rod. 

Summary of Substitute Bill:  Motor vehicles that are manufactured before 1949, or reconstructed primarily with original parts to look like a vehicle manufactured before 1949, may carry the official designation "street rod" and shall be titled as the make and year of the vehicle originally manufactured.

A "kit vehicle" is defined as a passenger car or light truck assembled from a manufactured kit.  To obtain a certificate of ownership for such a vehicle, the owner must meet certain procedural criteria.  The criteria is in place primarily to deter the sale of stolen vehicle parts in Washington.  Additional provisions relate to the licensing requirements, and kit vehicles qualifying as a"street rod" are allowed to carry that designation on their titles.

Vehicles that are licensed under RCW 46.16.305(1), relating to license plates for horseless carriages and collector cars, may only be used for occasional pleasure driving.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The definition of "collector," "parts car" and "street rod" are clarified.  The definition of a "special interest vehicle" is removed.

"Kit vehicles" are defined, and provisions are made for their proper licensing and titling.

Street rod owners that choose to apply for special collectors' license plates must follow current law restricting their driving to occasional pleasure driving.

The requirement that collectors shield their vehicles from public view is removed, leaving decisions about proper land use regulations to local governments.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This bill will allow car collectors and hobbyists to have their cars titled as the vehicle it most closely resembles.

Testimony Against:  The last section in the original bill may cause confusion about whether the state is pre-empting local land use regulations.  This section of the bill should be removed.

Testified:  Scott Cedergreen, WA Car Club Council (pro); Bob Leichner, WA State Patrol; Craig Olson, Assn. of WA Cities (con).