S-3667 _______________________________________________

SENATE BILL NO. 6373

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State of Washington 51st Legislature 1990 Regular Session

By Senators Moore, Johnson, Conner and Talmadge

Read first time 1/12/90 and referred to Committee on Economic Development & Labor.

AN ACT Relating to requiring dead bolt locks for rented and leased residences; and adding a new section to chapter 19.27 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 19.27 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Every exit door from a rented or leased dwelling unit in a new or existing hotel, apartment house, lodging house, or dwelling shall be equipped with a dead bolt lock with at least a one-inch bolt throw. The strike plate shall be secured to the door frame with screws of at least two and one-half inches. Manually operated edge or surface-mounted flush bolts shall not be used as a substitute for a dead bolt lock. The lock shall be constructed so that the dead bolt lock shall be opened from the inside without the use of a key or tool and mounted at a height not to exceed forty-eight inches above the finished floor.

(2) All nonconforming occupancies shall be brought into compliance within two years after the effective date of this act.

(3) For the purposes of this section:

(a) "Bolt throw" means the distance from the lock front surface to the farthest projected point on the bolt at the center line when subjected to end pressure.

(b) "Dead bolt" means a lock bolt which does not have a spring action. The bolt must be actuated by a key from the exterior and a knob or thumb turn from the interior and when projected becomes locked against return by end pressure.