FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 2281

                         C 102 L 92

                     Synopsis As Enacted

Brief Description:  Modifying requirements for crew size on passenger trains.

By House Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Representatives Prentice, R. Fisher, Vance, Forner, Heavey, G. Fisher, Roland, Winsley, Franklin, Paris, May, Mitchell and Leonard).

House Committee on Commerce & Labor

Senate Committee on Transportation

Background:  State law prohibits any railroad company operating as a common carrier to run a passenger, mail, or express train of four or more cars with a crew of less than five persons in specified job classes.

Summary:  The provisions are deleted that require passenger, mail, or express trains of four or more cars to have a crew consisting of at least five persons.  New provisions are added that prohibit state regulatory agencies from preventing passenger train staffing in accordance with applicable collective bargaining agreements or national settlements of train crew size.  If there is no collective bargaining agreement or settlement, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission may perform a safety review of a passenger train operating with less than two crew members. In those circumstances, the commission may order a train crew of two members.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  94   0

Senate 47   0

Effective:    June 11, 1992