S-3960               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6270

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Senator Owen and Barr

Read first time 1/15/88 and referred to Committee on Transportation.

AN ACT Relating to posting of motor fuel prices; and adding a new section to chapter 19.94 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 19.94 RCW to read as follows:

          The following rules apply to the posting of prices of retail sales of motor fuels.  As used herein, motor fuel means any fuel used in motor vehicles, including but not limited to gasoline, diesel, propane and alcohol-gasoline blends.  As used herein, motor vehicles shall include all wheeled motorized vehicles, and all boats and airplanes.

          (1) The posted or advertised price of motor fuel at retail outlets must be available to all consumers.  Any condition or qualification required to obtain the posted price must be clearly displayed in letters of contrasting color at least one-half the size of the posted price and immediately adjacent thereto.

          (2) A cash price may be posted or advertised if the posting of the price clearly shows it to be limited to cash purchases.  The information shall be in letters at least one-half the size of the posted price and immediately adjacent thereto.

          (3) (a) If a retailer elects to establish separate islands for cash and credit sales, the islands shall be clearly marked as such in letters at least six inches in height and of proportional width.

          (b) If a retailer elects to permit cash and credit card sales from the same dispenser, the retailer may post in the meter of a computing dispenser the credit price or the cash price.  If the credit price appears on the meter face, a chart shall be posted adjacent showing the cash discount price in one cent increments with lettering of such size and contrast lettering as to be easily read by a consumer.

          If the retailer elects to display the cash price in the meter, a sign will be displayed on each face of the dispenser in a location easily visible to a consumer in gothic letters at least one inch in height with this terminology:  "This is the cash price.  Credit card purchasers must pay a surcharge of .......... cents per gallon."  The amount of the surcharge will appear in the blank space.

          (4) Posted prices of motor fuels at retail outlets shall include all federal, state, and local taxes.

          (5) The director of agriculture may require retailers to post additional signs or information necessary to assure that the consumer is aware of information necessary to make an informed purchase.

          (6) Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent the use of a dispenser which is designed, manufactured, or adapted to permit cash and credit card sales from a single dispenser by manual or automatic means and which computes prices per gallon or liter pursuant to standards established in national bureau of standards handbook 44.