PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY
LABOR AND INDUSTRIES
Subject of Possible Rule Making: Review the current fees that exist in the rules for electrical (chapters 296-46A, 296-401B, and 296-402A WAC), plumber certification (chapter 296-400A WAC), contractor registration (chapter 296-200A WAC), elevators (chapter 296-96 WAC), and factory assembled structures (chapters 296-150C, 296-150F, 296-150M, 296-150P, 296-150R, 296-150T, and 296-150V WAC) for possible increases.
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: Chapters 18.27, 18.106, 19.28, 43.22, 70.87 RCW, and chapter 7, Laws of 2001 (ESSB 6153).
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: A 3.29% fee increase, which is the Office of Financial Management's maximum allowable fiscal growth rate factor for fiscal year 2003, may be necessary to help offset inflation and maintain the operational effectiveness of the contractor registration, factory assembled structures, plumber certification, electrical and elevator programs. In addition, elevator inspection fees will be reviewed for possible increases in excess of the fiscal growth factor in response to the passage of the 2001 operating budget (chapter 7, Laws of 2001, ESSB 6153) to ensure the fees fully fund the cost of the elevator program.
Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: The department is the sole agency charged with setting plumbing, contractor registration, elevator, electrical and factory assembled structures fees.
Process for Developing New Rule: The department will solicit input from the director's FAS Advisory Board, the Elevator Safety Advisory Committee, the Plumber's Advisory Board, and the Electrical Board. Other interested parties and the public may also participate by providing written comments or giving oral testimony during the public hearing and comment process.
Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Josh Swanson, Department of Labor and Industries, Specialty Compliance Services Division, P.O. Box 44400, Olympia, WA 98504-4400, phone (360) 902-6411, fax (360) 902-5292, e-mail swaj235@lni.wa.gov.
February 4, 2003
Paul Trause
Director