Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Transportation Committee

HB 1483

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Bill

Requires a public or private airport parking facility's primary advertised rate to reflect the actual amount a consumer will pay when claiming his or her vehicle, which must include all charges, fees, and taxes.
Requires a public or private airport parking facility to post all rates and any coupons or discounts in effect at the entrance to the facility, and to honor those rates, coupons, and discounts.

Background:

There are approximately 136 public-use airports in the State of Washington. In addition to managing 16 of these facilities, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has been tasked with the general supervision of aeronautics in Washington. The specific efforts undertaken by the WSDOT in response to this requirement include:

the Airport Aid Grant Program;
aviation system planning;
aviation land use planning;
aircraft registration; and
aviation emergency management services.

Beyond the 16 airports managed by the WSDOT, airports in Washington are generally owned and operated by port districts, cities, or counties. Any airport operator has the authority to adopt regulations necessary for the use of airport facilities and the collection of airport charges.

Except as otherwise provided, any person violating the provisions of the aeronautics chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor. Unless another punishment is proscribed, a person convicted of a misdemeanor can be subject to a jail sentence of not more than 90 days, a fine of not more than $1,000, or both.

Summary of Bill:

A public or private airport parking facility's primary advertised rate is required to reflect the actual amount a consumer will pay when claiming his or her vehicle. This primary advertised rate must include all charges, fees, and taxes for hourly, daily, and monthly rates. The parking facility must post whether any overage charges are by the hour or by the day, and the rate that applies.

A public or private airport parking facility is required to post all rates and any coupons or discounts that are in effect at the entrance to the facility. The parking facility must honor those rates, coupons, and discounts. All discounts and coupons must be the same on all advertising media, and any expiration date must be in bold face and in the same size font as the largest font used in the particular advertising media.

A public or private airport parking facility must use due diligence to ensure that it effectively communicates to the customer what the parking charge will be when the customer claims the vehicle.