HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  SB 5229

                       As Passed House

                        April 5, 1993

Title:  An act relating to creating department of transportation and Washington state patrol's rule-making authority to govern state rest area activities.

Brief Description:  Permitting the department of transportation and state patrol to adopt rules to govern state rest areas.

Sponsors:  Senators Vognild, Sellar, Skratek, Winsley and Oke.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Transportation, March 22, 1993, DP;

Passed House, April 5, 1993, 97-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 26 members:  Representatives R. Fisher, Chair; Brown, Vice Chair; Jones, Vice Chair; Schmidt, Ranking Minority Member; Mielke, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Brough; Brumsickle; Cothern; Eide; Finkbeiner; Forner; Fuhrman; Hansen; Heavey; Horn; Johanson; J. Kohl; Miller; H. Myers; Orr; Patterson; Quall; Sheldon; Shin; Wood; and Zellinsky.

Staff:  Jennifer Joly (786-7305).

Background:  Currently the Department of Transportation (DOT) has rule-making authority to govern the use and control of rest areas.  However, the department finds it cannot adequately control behaviors which may be disruptive to the general traveling public such as loitering or suspected drug abuse by some individuals.

Summary of Bill:  The Washington State Patrol is authorized to jointly adopt rules with the DOT governing not only the safety of the traveling public, but the conduct of the public at rest area facilities.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Joint rule-making authority is necessary because the conduct being regulated at rest area facilities may go beyond the scope of DOT's jurisdiction over the highways and into the criminal arena.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Bob Berger, Department of Transportation; and Tim Erickson, Washington State Patrol.