SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SSB 5250

              As Passed Senate, January 26, 1996

Title:  An act relating to motor vehicle equipment.

Brief Description:  Regulating collection of historic and special interest motor vehicles.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Owen, Haugen, Hargrove, Rasmussen, Prince, Morton and Prentice).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Transportation:  1/31/95, 2/14/95 [DPS]; 1/16/96 [DPS].

Passed Senate, 1/26/96, 41-1.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5250 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Owen, Chair; Heavey, Vice Chair; Goings, Oke, Prince, Rasmussen, Schow, Sellar and Thibaudeau.

Staff:  Jeff Doyle (786-7322)

Background:  There is no current statutory definition of a "street rod."  Cars that are constructed out of parts or from kits are titled as new model year cars, even though the cars are replicas of vintage or antique cars.

Currently, the State Patrol has much discretion in whether it issues a vehicle identification number (VIN) to a street rod. 

Summary of Bill:  Motor vehicles that are manufactured before 1949, or reconstructed primarily with original parts to look like a vehicle manufactured before 1949, may carry the official designation "street rod," and must be titled as the make and year of the vehicle originally manufactured.

A "kit vehicle" is defined as a passenger car or light truck assembled from a manufactured kit.  To obtain a certificate of ownership for such a vehicle, the owner must meet certain procedural criteria.  The criteria is in place primarily to deter the sale of stolen vehicle parts in Washington.  Additional provisions relate to the licensing requirements, and kit vehicles qualifying as a"street rod" are allowed to carry that designation on their titles.

Vehicles that are licensed under the statute relating to license plates for horseless carriages and collector cars may only be used for occasional pleasure driving.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  This bill will allow car collectors and hobbyists to have their cars titled as the vehicle it most closely resembles.

Testimony Against:  The last section in the original bill may cause confusion about whether the state is preempting local land use regulations.  This section of the bill should be removed.

Testified:  Scott Cedergreen, WA Car Club Council (pro); Bob Leichner, WA State Patrol; Craig Olson, Assn. of WA Cities (con).

House Amendment(s):  The title of a car constructed from a kit must clearly state that the car is a replica.

No title is needed for a vehicle intended to be used only as a parts car.  However, the owner must have documents providing ownership of the parts car.