Title: An act relating to limiting access to law enforcement and emergency equipment and vehicles.

Brief Description: Limiting access to law enforcement and emergency equipment and vehicles.

Sponsors: House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives Kilmer, Lantz and Ericks).

Brief History: Passed House: 2/10/06, 98-0.

Committee Activity: Transportation: 2/23/06, 2/24/06 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass as amended.Signed by Senators Haugen, Chair; Jacobsen, Vice Chair; Berkey, Eide, Esser, Finkbeiner, Kastama, Sheldon, Spanel and Swecker.

Staff: Janice Baumgardt (786-7319)

Background: Under current law, a public agency may not sell or donate emergency vehicle lighting or other emergency equipment to those who may not lawfully operate such equipment.

Summary of Amended Bill: A business, entity, or person are added as those who may not sell or donate emergency vehicle lighting or other emergency equipment to those who may not lawfully operate such equipment.

Prior to selling or donating an emergency vehicle to a person or entity that is not a state or local law enforcement or emergency agency, the seller or donor must remove all emergency lighting, radios, decals, law enforcement designations, and other emergency equipment. This equipment must be dismantled with the individual parts recycled or destroyed prior to being disposed of.

A vehicle broker may receive vehicles with the above mentioned equipment intact but must destroy that equipment as described above if the vehicle goes to an entity other than public law enforcement, an emergency agency, or a private ambulance business.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill: Other emergency equipment that must be removed is defined as equipment that would tend to identify a vehicle as a law enforcement or other emergency vehicle, as determined by the Washington State Patrol.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

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

Testimony For: This bill will help prevent someone from inappropriately getting a hold of an emergency vehicle and being able to pose as law enforcement.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Representative Kilmer, prime sponsor.