SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SSB 5669

                As Passed Senate, March 9, 1999

Title:  An act relating to conversion vending units and medical units.

Brief Description:  Regulating conversion vending units and medical units.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Labor & Workforce Development (originally sponsored by Senators Snyder and Brown).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Labor & Workforce Development:  2/11/99, 2/18/99 [DPS].

Passed Senate, 3/9/99, 49-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5669 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Fairley, Chair; Franklin, Vice Chair; Hochstatter, Kline, Oke and Wojahn.

Staff:  David Pringle (786-7448)

Background:  Trailers and motor vehicles may be converted by individuals or manufacturers for a variety of uses.

Conversion vendor units may be used to sell food or other items at temporary locations such as county fairs.  Medical units may be used to deliver medical services at temporary locations, including rural areas that could not support permanent facilities.

The Department of Labor and Industries regulates many of these conversion units as commercial coaches, requiring them to meet demanding structural and physical requirements.

It may be impractical, costly and unnecessary for some of these requirements to be met. Consequently, operators may go through a potentially lengthy and difficult process of obtaining department approval for variations from commercial coach standards.

Summary of Bill:  Conversion vendor units and medical units are defined.  Conversion vendor units are limited to eight feet, six inches in width, and 40 feet in length.  Medical units are self-propelled units not including emergency vehicles.

The director must adopt rules for these units designed to protect the occupants against fire and address other life safety issues. The structural requirements of these units are reduced, requiring a design capable of supporting a concentrated load of 500 pounds.

The law regulating factory assembled structures is updated to reflect the categories of conversion vendor and medical units.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  Most of our state=s small vendors have operated for years without problems.  This bill allows L&I to address legitimate safety concerns without creating unnecessary obstacles for those small vendor business owners.  This bill is a great help, but it would be better if it included vendor units a bit larger than 24 feet, taking more units into account.  Reducing the need for vendor operators to obtain variances from L&I, particularly on some structural issues, is a great idea.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Heather Hanson, Washington State Fair Association; Phil Blake, Carnival Guild, Tim Crose, Pacific County Health Department.