PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY
Subject of Possible Rule Making: Reduce the daily hours of operation from eight to six for tourist-oriented businesses to qualify for motorist information signing on state highways.
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 47.36.310 and 47.36.320.
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Currently tourist oriented businesses must be open eight hours a day, five days a week, with one day a week being Saturday or Sunday in order to qualify to be signed on a motorist information sign. Tourist oriented businesses are defined as a natural, recreational, historical, cultural, educational, or entertainment activity, or a unique or unusual commercial or nonprofit activity. Many of these types of businesses do not operate eight hours a day. This change will allow additional business to qualify for signing and provide the traveling public with more information about available tourist activities.
Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: None.
Process for Developing New Rule: Agency study.
Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Mike Dornfeld, Washington State Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 09504-7344, Olympia, WA 98504-4733, (360) 705-7288, dornfem@wsdot.wa.gov.
May 19, 2003
John F. Conrad
Assistant Secretary
of Transportation