BILL REQ. #:  H-4087.1 

Read first time 02/07/14.   Referred to Committee on Transportation.

     AN ACT Relating to personal transportation services; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that Washingtonians are early adopters of technology and have come to rely on services provided by mobile application-based personal transportation services. The legislature further finds that a piecemeal approach to regulating such services could result in a patchwork of conflicting standards, stifle innovation, and reduce consumer choice. Finally, the legislature finds that the safety of the users of such services must be made a priority. Therefore, the legislature intends to study the market for personal transportation services, including those that rely on use of a mobile application, with an aim to adopt a statewide regulatory framework during the 2015 legislative session.
     (2) The joint transportation committee must convene a work group to study the use of personal transportation services, including for-hire vehicles, taxicabs, limousines, and mobile application-based personal transportation services. The committee must work with the department of licensing, the office of the insurance commissioner, and the employment security department to determine how those agencies currently regulate personal transportation services and how they may play a role in any future regulatory framework. The committee must also work with stakeholders representing (a) owners, operators, and users of personal transportation services, (b) mobile application technology developers, and (c) local authorities.
     (3) The committee must study the industry of providing transportation for compensation, including the following:
     (a) Insurance coverage and policy requirements to own and operate a vehicle providing transportation for compensation;
     (b) Safety regulations, including those related to vehicles or drivers, that apply to vehicles used to provide transportation for compensation;
     (c) The impact of the regulation of such services by local governments, including cities, counties, and port districts; and
     (d) Barriers faced by taxicab operators, including local caps on licenses, lease and meter rates, and enforcement of rules regarding other transportation services.
     (4) The committee must also provide recommendations regarding legislative changes that would benefit the public by encouraging additional transportation options, increased transparency, enhanced safety, and options for statewide regulatory frameworks.
     (5) By December 31, 2014, the committee must provide a report to the transportation committees of the legislature summarizing the study and recommendations required by this section.
     (6) This section expires June 30, 2015.