FINAL BILL REPORT

                  HB 1431

                         C 118 L 91

                     Synopsis As Enacted

Brief Description:  Updating the Model Traffic Ordinance.

By Representatives R. Fisher, R. Meyers and Betrozoff.

House Committee on Transportation

Senate Committee on Transportation

Background:  The Washington Model Traffic Ordinance (MTO), enacted in 1975, is a listing of all state traffic laws which are applicable to a municipality.  The Model Ordinance may be adopted by reference by 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 ignore any section or sections it does not wish to include in its local laws.  Three-fourths of the cities and over half of the counties in the state adopt some version of the MTO.

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

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

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

Votes on Final Passage:

House  95   1

Senate 46   0

Effective:    May 9, 1991

            April 1, 1992 (Section 2)