BILL REQ. #:  H-3858.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/05/14.   

     AN ACT Relating to ambulance seat belt notification, air bags, and driver training; adding a new section to chapter 46.37 RCW; and providing an effective date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 46.37 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Ambulance seat belt notification must include a lighted message alarm and may include chime alarms that meet federal regulations regarding chime alarm intervals to notify the driver that a passenger has not fastened his or her seat belt in the cab of the ambulance. Seat belt alarms are prohibited from activating until the ambulance unit is put in drive gear. Any ambulance manufactured after the effective date of this section must comply with this subsection, and current warning systems may be modified to the specifications within this subsection on any ambulance manufactured before the effective date of this section.
     (2) Any ambulance manufactured after the effective date of this section must have air bags that meet federal regulations in the cab of the ambulance and must not be modified, blocked, or turned off.
     (3) The Washington state patrol, in partnership with the Washington fire chiefs, must study the need and feasibility of regional accident prevention programs for ambulance and medic unit operators, including the use of driver simulators. The study must take into consideration, among other issues, the availability of driver simulators, as well as any administrative and funding requirements needed to implement such a program. The results of the study must be reported to the legislature by December 1, 2014.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   This act takes effect July 1, 2014.