SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5123

              As Passed Senate, February 12, 2000

Title:  An act relating to factory assembled structures regulated by the department of labor and industries.

Brief Description:  Regulating factory assembled structures.

Sponsors:  Senators Fairley and Oke; by request of Department of Labor & Industries.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Labor & Workforce Development:  1/26/99 [DP].

Passed Senate, 2/12/00, 46-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Fairley, Chair; Franklin, Vice Chair; Hochstatter, Kline, Oke, Wojahn.

Staff:  Elizabeth Mitchell (786-7430)

Background:  The Department of Labor and Industries enforces safety and construction standards for factory-assembled structures including commercial coaches, manufactured homes, mobile homes, and park trailers.  The department develops safety rules concerning body and frame design, plumbing, heating, and electrical equipment.  The department also attempts to conform state standards to both the American National Standards Institute=s (ANSI) standards and additional standards prescribed by state statute for each type of factory-assembled structure.

Summary of Bill:  The term Apark trailers@ is changed to Arecreational park trailers.@  The terms Acommercial coach,@ Amanufactured home,@ and Amobile home@ are defined.  It is specified that for application of the National Building Code standards the terms Amanufactured home@ and Amobile home@ are synonymous.

The standards to which the department correlates its rules are changed; for example, the state building and electrical codes are added as sources for commercial coach standards.

Alteration permits are required for all construction or installation of plumbing, heating, or electrical equipment on used factory assembled structures.  The department may inspect alterations and set fees necessary to cover the costs of the alteration approval process.

The duties of the Factory Assembled Structures Advisory Board are expanded to include making recommendations on the alteration of manufactured and mobile homes.  The department may adopt federal standards for manufactured or mobile home alterations.

The department=s representatives may inspect alterations.  Language is clarified to allow the department to set a schedule of fees covering the costs of administrating the related sections.

The department may enter into reciprocal agreements with other states to delegate inspections. Reciprocating states must meet or exceed the standards and enforcement prescribed by this state.  A redundant section transferring manufactured home consumer complaint functions to the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development is repealed.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  These changes do clarify the statute, and are needed.  The department goal is to make these rules clearer and make them current with national terminology.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Russ May, Evergreen Modular; Dan Wolfenburger, Dept. of Labor and Industries.