FINAL BILL REPORT

                 ESHB 2313

PARTIAL VETO

                         C 137 L 98

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Revising the regulation of elevators, escalators, and other conveyances.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Commerce Labor (originally sponsored by Representatives Wood, Boldt and Conway; by request of Department of Labor & Industries).

House Committee on Commerce & Labor

Senate Committee on Commerce & Labor

Background: The Department of Labor and Industries administers and enforces a statutory program providing for the safe operation, erection, installation, alteration, inspection, and repair of publicly and privately owned elevators, escalators, dumbwaiters, belt man lifts,  moving walks, and other similar conveyances.  The Department of Labor administers this program through the elevator inspection program.  However, the industrial safety and health division is responsible for hand powered elevators, belt man lifts, and one man capacity man lifts on grain elevators.

An owner must obtain an installation permit from the department before a conveyance is built, installed, moved, or altered.  A permit is not required for repairs and replacement normally necessary for maintenance when parts of equivalent materials, strength, and design are used.  The statute exempts from inspection conveyances permanently removed from service, and certain lifts built temporarily for construction work.  The statute requires the department to annually inspect and test conveyances.  An operating permit is required for each conveyance operated in the state. 

The department has adopted rules, and has established fees for the enforcement and administration of the statute.

Summary:  Various elevating devices are defined within the term "conveyance." 

Inspection responsibility for elevators, hand-powered elevators, belt man lifts, special purpose elevators, one-person capacity man lifts, and other conveyances are changed from the industrial safety and health program to the elevator inspection program. Only construction personnel are authorized to ride an elevator with a "limited use" permit. Private residence conveyance owners are exempted from the operating permit requirement, unless the owner requests an operating permit.

The department may assess a penalty for violations of the elevator program, and is prohibited from imposing new fees or increasing existing fees without prior approval from the Legislature.

Votes on Final Passage:

House951

Senate480(Senate amended)

House(House refused to concur)

Senate3710(Senate receded)

Effective:June 11, 1998

Partial Veto Summary:  The Governor vetoed the section of the bill that prohibited the Department of Labor and Industries from imposing new fees or increasing fees without legislative approval.