BP BHEAD INT S

AN ACT Relating to motor vehicle emission inspections; and amending RCW 70.120.170 and 46.16.015.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 70.120.170 and 1991 c 199 s 208 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The department shall administer a system for emission inspections of all motor vehicles registered within the boundaries of each emission contributing area. Under such system a motor vehicle shall be inspected biennially except where an annual program would be required to meet federal law and prevent federal sanctions. ((~~In addition, motor vehicles shall be inspected at each change of registered owner of a licensed vehicle.~~))

(2) The director shall:

(a) Adopt procedures for conducting emission inspections of motor vehicles. The inspections may include idle and high revolution per minute emission tests. The emission test for diesel vehicles shall consist solely of a smoke opacity test.

(b) Adopt criteria for calibrating emission testing equipment. Electronic equipment used to test for emissions standards provided for in this chapter shall be properly calibrated. The department shall examine frequently the calibration of the emission testing equipment used at the stations.

(c) Authorize, through contracts, the establishment and operation of inspection stations for conducting vehicle emission inspections authorized in this chapter. No person contracted to inspect motor vehicles may perform for compensation repairs on any vehicles. No public body may establish or operate contracted inspection stations. Any contracts must be let in accordance with the procedures established for competitive bids in chapter 43.19 RCW.

(3) Subsection (2)(c) of this section does not apply to volunteer motor vehicle inspections under RCW 70.120.020(1) if the inspections are conducted for the following purposes:

(a) Auditing;

(b) Contractor evaluation;

(d) Public information and education.

(4)(a) The director shall establish by rule the fee to be charged for emission inspections. The inspection fee shall be a standard fee applicable state-wide or throughout an emission contributing area and shall be no greater than eighteen dollars. Surplus moneys collected from fees over the amount due the contractor shall be paid to the state and deposited in the general fund. Fees shall be set at the minimum whole dollar amount required to (i) compensate the contractor or inspection facility owner, and (ii) offset the general fund appropriation to the department to cover the administrative costs of the motor vehicle emission inspection program.

(b) Before each inspection, a person whose motor vehicle is to be inspected shall pay to the inspection station the fee established under this section. The person whose motor vehicle is inspected shall receive the results of the inspection. If the inspected vehicle complies with the standards established by the director, the person shall receive a dated certificate of compliance. If the inspected vehicle does not comply with those standards, one reinspection of the vehicle shall be afforded without charge.

(5) All units of local government and agencies of the state with motor vehicles garaged or regularly operated in an emissions contributing area shall test the emissions of those vehicles annually to ensure that the vehicle's emissions comply with the emission standards established by the director. All state agencies outside of emission contributing areas with more than twenty motor vehicles housed at a single facility or contiguous facilities shall test the emissions of those vehicles annually to ensure that the vehicles' emissions comply with standards established by the director. A report of the results of the tests shall be submitted to the department.

Sec. 2. RCW 46.16.015 and 1991 c 199 s 209 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Neither the department of licensing nor its agents may issue or renew a motor vehicle license for any ((~~vehicle or change the registered owner of a licensed vehicle, for any~~)) vehicle that is required to be inspected under chapter 70.120 RCW, unless the application for issuance or renewal is: (a) Accompanied by a valid certificate of compliance or a valid certificate of acceptance issued pursuant to chapter 70.120 RCW; or (b) exempted from this requirement pursuant to subsection (2) of this section. The certificates must have a date of validation which is within six months of the date of application for the vehicle license or license renewal. Certificates for fleet or owner tested diesel vehicles may have a date of validation which is within twelve months of the assigned license renewal date.

(2) Subsection (1) of this section does not apply to the following vehicles:

(a) New motor vehicles whose equitable or legal title has never been transferred to a person who in good faith purchases the vehicle for purposes other than resale;

(b) Motor vehicles with a model year of 1967 or earlier;

(d) Motor vehicles fueled by propane, compressed natural gas, or liquid petroleum gas, unless it is determined that federal sanctions will be imposed as a result of this exemption;

(e) Motorcycles as defined in RCW 46.04.330 and motor-driven cycles as defined in RCW 46.04.332;

(f) Farm vehicles as defined in RCW 46.04.181;

(g) Used vehicles which are offered for sale by a motor vehicle dealer licensed under chapter 46.70 RCW; or

(h) Motor vehicles exempted by the director of the department of ecology.

The provisions of subparagraph (a) of this subsection may not be construed as exempting from the provisions of subsection (1) of this section applications for the renewal of licenses for motor vehicles that are or have been leased.

(3) The department of ecology shall provide information to motor vehicle owners regarding the boundaries of emission contributing areas and restrictions established under this section that apply to vehicles registered in such areas. In addition the department of ecology shall provide information to motor vehicle owners on the relationship between motor vehicles and air pollution and steps motor vehicle owners should take to reduce motor vehicle related air pollution. The department of licensing shall send to all registered motor vehicle owners affected by the emission testing program notice that they must have an emission test to renew their registration.