SENATE BILL REPORT

                                    SB 5220

                        AS PASSED SENATE, MARCH 6, 1991

Brief Description:  Modifying railroad crossing inspection fees.

SPONSORS:Senators Patterson and Vognild; by request of Utilities & Transportation Commission.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

      Majority Report:  Do pass.

     Signed by Senators Patterson, Chairman; von Reichbauer, Vice Chairman; Conner, Erwin, Hansen, Oke, Sellar, Skratek, Snyder, Thorsness, and Vognild. 

Staff:  Mary McLaughlin (786‑7309)

Hearing Dates:February 5, 1991

BACKGROUND:

The Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) is charged with inspecting log and industrial railroad crossings located within the state that are owned by private railroad companies.  The maximum fee for these inspections was statutorily set in 1961 at $10 per inspection.

The UTC estimates that the cost of inspecting the 200 industrial railroad crossings in the state has risen to approximately $25 per inspection.

SUMMARY:

The maximum $10 inspection fee for log and industrial grade crossing inspections is changed to an amount determined by the commission.  The fee is to be based on the cost of rendering inspection services.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  available

TESTIMONY FOR:

Changing the inspection fee from a statutorily fixed fee to an amount determined by the commission will better reflect the cost of administering the program.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  Carol Monohon, UTC (for); Cathy Anderson, UTC (for)