H-0601.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1157

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Representatives Ericksen, Cooper, Ogden, DeBolt, Buck, Mielke and Radcliff

Read first time 01/15/1999.  Referred to Committee on Transportation.

Penalizing motor carriers that operate without a permit.

    AN ACT Relating to motor carriers operating without a permit; amending RCW 81.80.070; and prescribing penalties.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 81.80.070 and 1963 c 242 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) No "motor carrier," "common carrier," "contract carrier," or "temporary carrier" shall operate for the transportation of property for compensation in this state without first obtaining from the commission a permit so to do.  Permits heretofore issued or hereafter issued to any carrier, shall be exercised by said carrier to the fullest extent so as to render reasonable service to the public.  Applications for common or contract carrier permits or extensions thereof shall be on file for a period of at least thirty days prior to the granting thereof unless the commission finds that special conditions require the earlier granting thereof.

(2) A permit or extension thereof shall be issued to any qualified applicant therefor, authorizing the whole or any part of the operations covered by the application, if it is found that the applicant is fit, willing, and able properly to perform the services proposed and conform to the provisions of this chapter and the requirements, rules and regulations of the commission thereunder, and that such operations will be consistent with the public interest, and, in the case of common carriers, that the same are or will be required by the present or future public convenience and necessity, otherwise such application shall be denied.

(3) Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to confer upon any person or persons the exclusive right or privilege of transporting property for compensation over the public highways of the state.

(4)(a) Failure to obtain the permit required under subsection (1) of this section is punishable by a civil fine of five thousand dollars.

(b) The commission shall enjoin the carrier from operating without the proper permit from the commission.

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