Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Transportation Committee

HB 2956

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

Creates a task force on information technology, which is charged with assisting policymakers, businesses, and the public to prepare for and develop a transportation system that accommodates an array of information technology uses in vehicles and for transportation purposes, generally.
Requires the task force to submit a work plan to the Governor and appropriate committees of the Legislature by December 1, 2016, and a final report of recommendations and findings by November 1, 2017.

Background:

In recent years, there have been significant changes with respect to the use of information technology (IT) in vehicles and for transportation purposes, generally. Several automobile models have been designed with IT functions that assist drivers in the operation of the vehicle, and several business entities are in the process of developing fully automated, self-driving vehicles. A number of IT applications for smart phones and other devices have been designed to assist with navigation and to provide traffic and traveler information. In addition, transit agencies have used IT architectures in deployment of certain transit services, and new transportation economies involving ride-sharing rely extensively on IT systems and applications.

From time to time, the Legislature creates task forces to address the exploration or development of policy. For example, in 2014 the Legislature enacted a Joint Select Task Force on the Economic Resilience of Maritime and Manufacturing (Task Force) in Washington. The Task Force was charged with developing recommendations for the short- and long-term to support and sustain the maritime industry and other manufacturing sectors in Washington.

Summary of Bill:

A legislative task force on information technology in transportation is created. The principal charge of the task force is to assist policymakers, businesses, and the public to prepare for and develop a transportation system that accommodates an array of IT uses, in vehicles and for transportation purposes, generally. More specifically, the task force must:

evaluate the state of the automotive sector with respect to IT developments;
undertake a collaborative stakeholder approach;
utilize focus groups or other methods to gain insights as to how IT is shaping the utilization of the transportation system;
review the applicable state and local regulatory environments with respect to IT in transportation;
identify and assess critical public infrastructure necessary for a transportation system that accommodates and benefits from IT; and
propose legislative and administrative changes to address short-, medium-, and long-term impediments to establishing such a system.

The membership of the task force includes: three members each from the two largest causes in the House of Representatives (House) and from the two largest caucuses in the Senate; and a representative from the Department of Transportation. The Speaker of the House must appoint the House members, and the President of the Senate must appoint the Senate members.

The task force membership must select co-chairs from among its membership: one from the House and one from the Senate. The co-chairs must appoint an advisory committee consisting of representatives from automotive and information technology businesses, public sector transportation, local government, academia, and other stakeholder interests to provide technical information and assistance in completing the objectives of the task force.

The task force must submit to the Governor and the appropriate committees of the Legislature a work plan by December 1, 2016, and a final report with findings and recommendations by November 1, 2017.

Staff support for the task force must be provided by Senate Committee Services and by the Office of Program Research. Legislators are to be reimbursed for travel expenses. Expenses of the task force must be shared by the House and Senate equally.