FINAL BILL REPORT

                  SSB 5669

                           C 22 L 99

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Regulating conversion vending units and medical units.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Labor & Workforce Development (originally sponsored by Senators Snyder and Brown).

Senate Committee on Labor & Workforce Development

House Committee on Commerce & Labor

Background:  Trailers and motor vehicles may be converted by individuals or manufacturers for a variety of uses.

Conversion vendor units may be used to sell food or other items at temporary locations such as county fairs.  Medical units may be used to deliver medical services at temporary locations, including rural areas that could not support permanent facilities.

The Department of Labor and Industries regulates many of these conversion units as commercial coaches, requiring them to meet demanding structural and physical requirements.

It may be impractical, costly and unnecessary for some of these requirements to be met. Consequently, operators may go through a potentially lengthy and difficult process of obtaining department approval for variations from commercial coach standards.

Summary:  Conversion vendor units and medical units are defined.  Conversion vendor units are limited to eight feet, six inches in width, and 40 feet in length.  Medical units are self-propelled units not including emergency vehicles.

The director must adopt rules for these units designed to protect the occupants against fire and address other life safety issues. The structural requirements of these units are reduced, requiring a design capable of supporting a concentrated load of 500 pounds.

The law regulating factory assembled structures is updated to reflect the categories of conversion vendor and medical units.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate 49 0

House     93 0

Effective:  July 25, 1999