S-3447               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 4480

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By Senator McManus

Prefiled with Secretary of the Senate 1/10/86.  Read first time 1/13/86 and referred to Committee on Transportation.

AN ACT Relating to hitchhiking; and amending RCW 46.61.255.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

        Sec. 1.  Section 38, chapter 155, Laws of 1965 ex. sess. as amended by section 1, chapter 38, Laws of 1972 ex. sess. and RCW 46.61.255 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) No person ((shall stand in or on a public roadway or alongside thereof at any place where a motor vehicle cannot safely stop off the main traveled portion thereof for the purpose of soliciting a ride)) may solicit by word or sign or by any other means for himself or for another a ride from the occupant of any vehicle.

          (2) It ((shall be)) is unlawful for the driver of a vehicle to offer or give a ride to any person ((to solicit)) soliciting a ride ((for himself or another from within the right of way of any limited access facility except in such areas where permission to do so is given and posted by the highway authority of the state, county, city or town having jurisdiction over the)) upon or along a public highway.

          (3) The provisions of subsections (1) and (2) above shall not be construed to prevent a person upon a public highway from soliciting, or a driver of a vehicle from giving a ride where an emergency actually exists, nor to prevent a person from signaling or requesting transportation from a passenger carrier for the purpose of becoming a passenger thereon for hire.

          (4) No person shall stand in a roadway for the purpose of soliciting employment or business from the occupant of any vehicle.

          (5) No person shall stand on or in proximity to a street or highway for the purpose of soliciting the watching or guarding of any vehicle while parked or about to be parked on a street or highway.

          (((6) It is the intent of the legislature that this section preempt the field of the regulation of hitchhiking in any form, and no county, city, town, municipality, or political subdivision thereof shall take any action in conflict with the provisions of this section.))