FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1821

FULL VETO

Brief Description:  Making the fraudulent installation of fire protection sprinkler systems a felony.

Sponsor(s):  By House Committee on Judiciary (originally sponsored by Representatives R. Meyers, Ferguson, Schmidt, Zellinsky, Sheldon, Winsley, D. Sommers, Bowman, Paris, Miller, Riley, R. Johnson, Brough, Silver, Roland, Cooper, Horn, Chandler and Moyer).

House Committee on Judiciary

Senate Committee on Commerce & Labor

Background:  Under Washington law, various frauds and swindles are designated as crimes that range in seriousness from misdemeanors to felonies.

Persons convicted of class C felonies are subject to imprisonment for a maximum of five years and a fine of up to $10,000.  Persons convicted of a gross misdemeanor are subject to imprisonment of up to a year and a fine of up to $5,000.

Washington requires that a person or business be licensed as a fire sprinkler contractor to install fire sprinkler systems.  Only the state director of fire protection may issue these licenses.  To qualify, the contractor must employ a holder of a certificate of competency issued by the state director of fire protection, must meet minimum insurance requirements, and must apply to the state director for a license.

Summary:  A person is guilty of a class C felony if he or she willfully and maliciously constructs, installs, or maintains a fire sprinkler system and knows that the system is inoperable.  A person is also guilty of a class C felony if he or she willfully and knowingly impairs the operation of a sprinkler system.

A person without a license who constructs, installs or maintains a fire protection sprinkler system in a building other than a single-family, owner-occupied home is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.

Fire sprinkler system is defined as a water delivery system that delivers water from the primary supply to dispersed openings.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  98   0

Senate 40   0

FULL VETO: (See VETO MESSAGE)