SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5226

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Transportation, March 7, 2001

Title:  An act relating to the authority to issue special permits for oversize or overweight movements.

Brief Description:  Updating oversize load permits.

Sponsors:  Senators Haugen, Oke, Gardner and Horn; by request of Department of Transportation.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Transportation:  2/20/01, 3/7/01 [DPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5226 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

Signed by Senators Haugen, Chair; Gardner, Vice Chair; Benton, Eide, Finkbeiner, Horn, Jacobsen, Kastama, McAuliffe, McDonald, Oke, Patterson, Prentice, T. Sheldon, Shin and Swecker.

Staff:  Jennifer Ziegler (786-7316)

Background: The Motor Carrier Services Office of the Washington State Department of Transportation issues permits that regulate vehicles or loads on state highways that are over legal limits.  Current law regulates permits for over-dimensional vehicles and loads, as well as over-dimensional and over-weight vehicles and loads. The duplication between the two statutes regulating over-dimensional vehicles has caused some confusion in the permitting process.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  Statutes regarding over-dimensional vehicles are combined.  Authorization for issuing electronic permits is created.  The department may not require that applicants for special permits exceed the department=s rules for the movement of farm implements.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The department must not require a permit applicant to exceed the rules for the movement of farm implements.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  This legislation does not change current business practices and has no fiscal impact.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Barry Diseth, WSDOT.