S-0290.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5162

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State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Senators Benton, Finkbeiner, Johnson, Oke, Hale, Parlette, West, Rossi and Long

Read first time 01/12/2001.  Referred to Committee on Transportation.

Allowing private entities to operate state-owned safety rest areas.

    AN ACT Relating to safety rest areas; and adding a new section to chapter 47.38 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 47.38 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The department must adopt by rule a comprehensive program that allows private entities to operate state-owned safety rest areas.

    (2) The program to allow private entities to operate state-owned safety rest areas must meet the following criteria:

    (a) In addition to commercial services offered, privately operated safety rest areas must also offer equivalent services, at no charge, currently provided by state-operated safety rest areas;

    (b) The department must lease the rights to operate safety rest areas for a commercially reasonable period of time, but no longer than twenty years;

    (c) The department may lease the right to operate either individual safety rest areas, or groups of safety rest areas, or both, to a private entity; and

    (d) The department must take all necessary action to ensure the most favorable lease rates for the state, whether by bid or other reasonable manner, and to require the lessee to enter into any other contract or agreement to protect the state and its citizens from commercial harm or other type of harm.

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