BILL REQ. #:  Z-0991.1 

Read first time 01/16/2004.   Referred to Committee on Highways & Transportation.

     AN ACT Relating to toll collection; reenacting and amending RCW 46.12.370; and adding a new section to chapter 47.46 RCW.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 46.12.370 and 1997 c 432 s 6 and 1997 c 33 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     In addition to any other authority which it may have, the department of licensing may furnish lists of registered and legal owners of motor vehicles only for the purposes specified in this section to:
     (1) The manufacturers of motor vehicles, or their authorized agents, to be used to enable those manufacturers to carry out the provisions of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. sec. 1382-1418), including amendments or additions thereto, respecting safety-related defects in motor vehicles;
     (2) Any governmental agency of the United States or Canada, or political subdivisions thereof, to be used by it or by its authorized commercial agents or contractors only in connection with the enforcement of motor vehicle or traffic laws by, or programs related to traffic safety of, that government agency. Only such parts of the list as are required for completion of the work required of the agent or contractor shall be provided to such agent or contractor;
     (3) A commercial parking company requiring the names and addresses of registered owners to notify them of outstanding parking violations. Subject to the disclosure agreement provisions of RCW 46.12.380 and the requirements of Executive Order 97-01, the department may provide only the parts of the list that are required for completion of the work required of the company;
     (4) An authorized agent or contractor of the department, to be used only in connection with providing motor vehicle excise tax, licensing, title, and registration information to motor vehicle dealers; ((or))
     (5) Any business regularly making loans to other persons to finance the purchase of motor vehicles, to be used to assist the person requesting the list to determine ownership of specific vehicles for the purpose of determining whether or not to provide such financing; or
     (6) A company or its agents operating a toll facility under chapter 47.46 RCW or other applicable authority requiring the names, addresses, and vehicle information of motor vehicle registered owners to identify toll violators.
     ((In the event)) If a list of registered and legal owners of motor vehicles is used for any purpose other than that authorized in this section, the manufacturer, governmental agency, commercial parking company, authorized agent, contractor, financial institution, toll facility operator, or their authorized agents or contractors responsible for the unauthorized disclosure or use will be denied further access to such information by the department of licensing.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 47.46 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Tolls may be collected by any system that identifies the correct toll and collects the payment. Systems may include manual cash collection, electronic toll collection, and photo monitoring systems.
     (a) "Electronic toll collection system" means a system of collecting tolls or charges that is capable of charging the account of the toll patron the appropriate toll or charge by electronic transmission from the motor vehicle to the toll collection system, which information is used to charge the appropriate toll or charge to the patron's account. The department shall adopt rules that allow automatic vehicle identification transponders used for electronic toll collection to be compatible with other electronic payment devices or transponders from the Washington state ferry system, other public transportation systems, or other toll collection systems to the extent that technology permits.
     (b) "Photo monitoring system" means a vehicle sensor installed to work in conjunction with an electronic toll collection system in a toll facility that automatically produces one or more photographs, one or more microphotographs, a videotape, or other recorded images of each vehicle at the time it is used or operated within a toll facility.
     (2) The department shall adopt rules to govern toll collection.