S-1151.1 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 5556
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 55th Legislature 1997 Regular Session
By Senators Rasmussen, Long and Winsley
Read first time 01/31/97. Referred to Committee on Agriculture & Environment.
AN ACT Relating to illegitimate autobody repair operations; creating new sections; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature has discovered that there are a significant amount of illegitimate autobody repair operations that are not in compliance with state law. Their illegal activities of improperly spraying and dumping toxic paint has a significant effect on our state's public health and safety. Furthermore, many of these illegitimate shops are not qualified to repair vehicles which makes them unsafe to drive. The legislature intends to discover illegitimate autobody repair operations and bring them into compliance with state law or, alternatively, to require a cease in operations.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) Beginning July 1, 1997, and ending July 1, 1999, the department of ecology shall establish an illegitimate autobody operations enforcement project. The department shall assign three full-time investigators to discover and react to illegitimate autobody repair operations. As part of their duties, the investigators shall issue fines, work with local enforcement agencies, and ensure that the illegitimate operations are either brought into compliance or shut down.
(2) The investigators shall focus on autobody repair operations that are illegitimate. It is not the intent of this act to discover violations in autobody repair operations that are licensed and known by the state as a legitimate autobody repair operation.
(3) The illegitimate autobody repair operations enforcement project shall make quarterly presentation of its findings and activities to an oversight committee. The department of ecology shall organize the committee. The committee must be comprised of one member of each caucus of the legislature, one member of each of the state's regional air quality agencies, and three representatives of the autobody industry, appointed by the director of ecology. The oversight committee only serves as a guidance council. The department shall manage the enforcement project.
(4) The 1999 legislature shall review the illegitimate autobody operations enforcement project and determine whether to continue the project beyond the July 1, 1999, termination date.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 1997.
--- END ---