HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1431

                       As Passed House

                       March 19, 1991

Title:  An act relating to the Model Traffic Ordinance.

Brief Description:  Updating the Model Traffic Ordinance.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives R. Fisher, R. Meyers and Betrozoff.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Transportation, March 7, 1991, DP;

Passed House, March 19, 1991, 96-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 27 members:  Representatives R. Fisher, Chair; R. Meyers, Vice Chair; Betrozoff, Ranking Minority Member; Chandler, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Basich; Brough; Cantwell; Cooper; Day; G. Fisher; Forner; Haugen; Heavey; Horn; P. Johnson; R. Johnson; Jones; Kremen; Mitchell; Nelson; Orr; Prentice; Prince; Schmidt; Wilson; Wood; and Zellinsky.

Staff:  Brian McMorrow (786-7304).

Background:  The Washington Model Traffic Ordinance (MTO), enacted in 1975, is a listing of all state traffic laws which are applicable to a municipality, and can be adopted by reference by any local authority to serve as its local traffic ordinance.  A local authority may adopt the MTO in full or in part, and may at any time exclude any section or sections it does not wish to include in its local laws.  It is a service that three-fourths of the cities and over half of the counties in the state subscribe to.

New legislative enactments that relate to the regulation of traffic and motor vehicles within a municipality should be incorporated into the MTO.  Including these statutes by reference in the Model Ordinance allows the cities, towns and counties which have adopted the MTO to enforce these laws without having to enact separate ordinances for each one.

If a municipality desires to implement a new traffic law prior to legislative passage of the updated MTO, then it must enact its own local ordinance compatible with the state law.

Summary of Bill:  The Model Traffic Ordinance is updated to include the laws passed during the 1989 and 1990 sessions relating to traffic and motor vehicles.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately, except section 2 which takes effect April 1, 1992.

Testimony For:  The annual updating of the Model provides consistency between state traffic laws and local traffic ordinances.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Jim Justin, Association of Washington Cities.