SB 6362-S - DIGEST

(DIGEST OF PROPOSED 1ST SUBSTITUTE)

     Requires the department to work with representatives of tenants in manufactured/mobile home parks, representatives of manufactured/mobile home park landlords, the administrator for the courts, the Washington state association of counties, the association of Washington cities, and other interested parties to develop a program for resolving disputed violations of chapter 59.20 RCW.

     Requires the department and interested parties to develop an agreed-upon program consistent with this act by June 30, 2003.  If the department and interested parties cannot agree on a program by then, the department shall develop the program by December 31, 2003.

     Requires the program to provide mediation and arbitration services consistent with chapter 59.20 RCW at no cost to the disputants of an alleged violation of chapter 59.20 RCW.

     Directs the department to provide a status report on the mediation and arbitration program created under this section by December 1, 2004, and a final report by December 1, 2005, to the legislature.  The reports shall include at a minimum the number of disputants participating in the program, how disputes were resolved, the time it took to resolve the disputes, the revenues generated by fees imposed under this act, and the costs expended to administer the program.

     Requires each owner of a manufactured/mobile home park to register with the office and provide information on the ownership, location, and number of lots in the manufactured/mobile home park.  Each owner of a manufactured/mobile home park either registered or determined by the office to be an owner of a manufactured/mobile home park shall pay to the office an annual fee to fund the administrative costs of the mediation and arbitration program established by this act.

     Appropriates the sum of forty-nine thousand nine hundred dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2003, from the general fund to the manufactured/mobile home mediation and arbitration account under section 6 of this act for the administration costs of the mediation and arbitration program under section 5 of this act.