SENATE BILL REPORT

HB 1589

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Highways & Transportation, March 1, 2004

Title: An act relating to tow truck permit fees.

Brief Description: Allowing annual permits for oversize towing operations.

Sponsors: Representatives Murray and Woods.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Highways & Transportation: 2/18/04, 3/1/04 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass.

      Signed by Senators Horn, Chair; Benton, Vice Chair; Swecker, Vice Chair; Esser, Haugen, Jacobsen, Kastama, Mulliken, Murray, Oke, Poulsen and Spanel.

Staff: Dean Carlson (786-7305)

Background: Under current law, vehicles which are overweight or oversized must obtain a special permit from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) in order to travel on the state highway system. The different permits issued may be valid anywhere from one day to one year. There are currently no long-term permit categories for tow trucks.

Under the current process, if a tow truck is hired to tow an oversized or overweight vehicle, they must obtain a permit from the WSDOT which is valid for that single tow operation. The WSDOT charges according to the weight of the tow vehicle and the number of miles the vehicle will be towed. The fees for this type of permit range from $14 to several hundred dollars.

Summary of Bill: Two new overweight/oversize permit categories are created for tow trucks that tow oversize/overweight vehicles. The categories are for class C and class B tow trucks, and class E tow trucks with a class C or class B rating, that perform emergency and nonemergency tows of oversize or overweight vehicles. The permits are valid for one year. The permit fee for a class C tow truck is $150 per year and the fee for a class B tow truck is $75 per year.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on February 12, 2004.

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

Testimony For: This is not a new permit. This saves the towers time, as well as the Department of Transportation. This maximizes efficiency without a negative impact to revenues or the public. The towing industry and the department have worked closely on this bill. Flexibility is given to the towers while allowing the department to protect the infrastructure.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: Stu Halsan, WA Tow Truck Assoc. (pro); Stacey Tucker, WA Tow Truck Assoc. (pro); Jim Wright, WSDOT (pro).