Title: An act relating to operating unregistered snowmobiles.

Brief Description: Revising snowmobile operation provisions.

Sponsors: Senators Kastama, Mulliken and Rasmussen.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Transportation: 2/2/06, 2/6/06 [DP].

Passed Senate: 2/14/06, 47-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by Senators Haugen, Chair; Jacobsen, Vice Chair; Poulsen, Vice Chair; Benson, Ranking Minority Member; Benton, Berkey, Eide, Esser, Kastama, Mulliken, Oke, Sheldon, Spanel, Swecker and Weinstein.

Staff: Kelly Simpson (786-7403)

Background: Under current law, generally all snowmobiles must be registered with the Department of Licensing (DOL) if owned, transported, or operated in Washington State. The annual registration fee is $30. The fee is deposited into the Snowmobile Account within the State General Fund. Monies in the Snowmobile Account are appropriated only to the State Parks and Recreation Commission for snowmobile purposes (e.g., operation and maintenance of snowmobile facilities, and the implementation of safety and education programs).

Summary of Bill: Snowmobiles are required to be registered with DOL only if operated in Washington State.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on January 26, 2006.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

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

Testimony For: Under current law, just owning a snowmobile requires registration with the state. This makes snowmobiles the only vehicle requiring registration for simply owning it on private property. This bill would provide equity in the sense that snowmobiles would only need to be registered when operated on public land, just like other vehicles. The original intent of the existing law was to help facilitate proper enforcement of the registration requirement, but it has not worked well.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Senator Kastama, sponsor; Howard Briggs, Steve Alldridge, & Gary Harris, WA State Snowmobile Assoc.