S-3760.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6697

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington   57th Legislature        2002 Regular Session

By Senators Finkbeiner, Kline, Fraser and Kohl‑Welles

Read first time 01/26/2002.  Referred to Committee on Environment, Energy & Water.

Exempting ultra-fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles from emission inspections.

    AN ACT Relating to ultra-fuel-efficient vehicles; and amending RCW 46.16.015.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 46.16.015 and 1998 c 342 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Neither the department of licensing nor its agents may issue or renew a motor vehicle license for any vehicle or change the registered owner of a licensed vehicle, for any vehicle that is required to be inspected under chapter 70.120 RCW, unless the application for issuance or renewal is:  (a) Accompanied by a valid certificate of compliance or a valid certificate of acceptance issued pursuant to chapter 70.120 RCW; or (b) exempted from this requirement pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.  The certificates must have a date of validation which is within six months of the date of application for the vehicle license or license renewal.  Certificates for fleet or owner tested diesel vehicles may have a date of validation which is within twelve months of the assigned license renewal date.

    (2) Subsection (1) of this section does not apply to the following vehicles:

    (a) New motor vehicles whose equitable or legal title has never been transferred to a person who in good faith purchases the vehicle for purposes other than resale;

    (b) Motor vehicles with a model year of 1967 or earlier;

    (c) Motor vehicles that use propulsion units powered exclusively by electricity or ultra-fuel-efficient gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles.  As used in this section, "ultra-fuel-efficient" means a vehicle that averages greater than fifty miles per gallon of fuel;

    (d) Motor vehicles fueled by propane, compressed natural gas, or liquid petroleum gas, unless it is determined that federal sanctions will be imposed as a result of this exemption;

    (e) Motorcycles as defined in RCW 46.04.330 and motor-driven cycles as defined in RCW 46.04.332;

    (f) Farm vehicles as defined in RCW 46.04.181;

    (g) Used vehicles which are offered for sale by a motor vehicle dealer licensed under chapter 46.70 RCW;

    (h) Classes of motor vehicles exempted by the director of the department of ecology;

    (i) Collector cars as identified by the department of licensing under RCW 46.16.305(1); or

    (j) Beginning January 1, 2000, vehicles that are less than five years old or more than twenty-five years old.

    The provisions of (a) of this subsection may not be construed as exempting from the provisions of subsection (1) of this section applications for the renewal of licenses for motor vehicles that are or have been leased.

    (3) The department of ecology shall provide information to motor vehicle owners regarding the boundaries of emission contributing areas and restrictions established under this section that apply to vehicles registered in such areas.  In addition the department of ecology shall provide information to motor vehicle owners on the relationship between motor vehicles and air pollution and steps motor vehicle owners should take to reduce motor vehicle related air pollution.  The department of licensing shall send to all registered motor vehicle owners affected by the emission testing program notice that they must have an emission test to renew their registration.

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