H-0066.1

HOUSE BILL 1118

ByRepresentatives Mosbrucker, Orwall, Jacobsen, and Wylie

AN ACT Relating to school bus safety; amending RCW 28A.160.010, 28A.160.205, 46.37.510, 46.63.180, and 43.84.092; adding a new section to chapter 46.37 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 46.68 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:

Beginning September 1, 2024, every school bus must, in addition to any other equipment required under this chapter, be equipped with an automated school bus safety camera. For purposes of this section, "automated school bus safety camera" means a device that is affixed to a school bus that is synchronized to automatically record one or more sequenced photographs, microphotographs, or electronic images of the rear of a vehicle at the time the vehicle is detected for an infraction identified in RCW 46.61.370(1).

Sec. 2. RCW 28A.160.010 and 2020 c 339 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The operation of each local school district's student transportation program is declared to be the responsibility of the respective board of directors, and each board of directors shall determine such matters as which individual students shall be transported and what routes shall be most efficiently utilized except as provided in RCW 28A.160.240. State moneys allocated to local districts for student transportation shall be spent only for student transportation activities, but need not be spent by the local district in the same manner as calculated and allocated by the state.

(2)(a) A school district is authorized to provide for the transportation of students enrolled in the school or schools of the district both in the case of students who reside within the boundaries of the district and of students who reside outside the boundaries of the district.

(3) When children are transported from one school district to another the board of directors of the respective districts may enter into a written contract providing for a division of the cost of such transportation between the districts.

(4) School districts may use school buses and drivers hired by the district or commercial chartered bus service for the transportation of school children and the school employees necessary for their supervision to and from any school activities within or without the school district during or after school hours and whether or not a required school activity, so long as the school board has officially designated it as a school activity. For any extracurricular uses, the school board shall charge an amount sufficient to reimburse the district for its cost.

(5) In addition to the right to contract for the use of buses provided in RCW 28A.160.080 and 28A.160.090, any school district may contract to furnish the use of school buses of that district to other users who are engaged in conducting an educational or recreational program supported wholly or in part by tax funds or programs for elderly persons at times when those buses are not needed by that district and under such terms as will fully reimburse such school district for all costs related or incident thereto: PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That no such use of school district buses shall be permitted except where other public or private transportation certificated or licensed by the Washington utilities and transportation commission is not reasonably available to the user: PROVIDED FURTHER, That no user shall be required to accept any charter bus for services which the user believes might place the health or safety of the children or elderly persons in jeopardy.

(6) Whenever any persons are transported by the school district in its own motor vehicles and by its own employees, the board may provide insurance to protect the district against loss, whether by reason of theft, fire or property damage to the motor vehicle or by reason of liability of the district to persons from the operation of such motor vehicle.

(7) The board may provide insurance by contract purchase for payment of hospital and medical expenses for the benefit of persons injured while they are on, getting on, or getting off any vehicles enumerated herein without respect to any fault or liability on the part of the school district or operator. This insurance may be provided without cost to the persons notwithstanding the provisions of RCW 28A.400.350.

(8) If the transportation of children or elderly persons is arranged for by contract of the district with some person, the board may require such contractor to procure such insurance as the board deems advisable.

Sec. 3. RCW 28A.160.205 and 2007 c 348 s 101 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall implement a school bus replacement incentive program. As part of the program, the office shall fund up to ten percent of the cost of a new ((2007 or later model year school bus that meets the 2007 federal motor vehicle emission control standards and is purchased by a school district by no later than June 30, 2009))school bus, provided that the new bus is replacing a 1994 or older school bus or the oldest bus in the school district's fleet. Replacement of the oldest buses must be given highest priority. Such incentive funds received under this subsection must be deposited into the school district's transportation vehicle fund established in RCW 28A.160.130.

(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall ensure that buses being replaced through this program are surplused under RCW 28A.335.180. As part of the surplus process, school districts must provide written documentation to the office of the superintendent of public instruction demonstrating that buses being replaced are scrapped and not purchased for road use. The documentation must include bus make, model, year, vehicle identification number, engine make, engine serial number, and salvage yard receipts; and must demonstrate that the engine and body of the bus being replaced has been rendered unusable.

(3) The office of the superintendent of public instruction may adopt any rules necessary for the implementation of chapter 348, Laws of 2007 and this act.

Sec. 4. RCW 46.37.510 and 1987 c 330 s 729 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) No person may sell any automobile manufactured or assembled after January 1, 1964, nor may any owner cause such vehicle to be registered thereafter under the provisions of chapter 46.12 RCW unless such motor car or automobile is equipped with automobile seat belts installed for use on the front seats thereof which are of a type and installed in a manner conforming to rules adopted by the state patrol. Where registration is for transfer from an out-of-state license, the applicant shall be informed of this section by the issuing agent and has thirty days to comply. The state patrol shall adopt and enforce standards as to what constitutes adequate and safe seat belts and for the fastening and installation of them. Such standards shall not be below those specified as minimum requirements by the Society of Automotive Engineers on June 13, 1963.

(2) Every passenger car manufactured or assembled after January 1, 1965, shall be equipped with at least two lap-type safety belt assemblies for use in the front seating positions.

(3) Every passenger car manufactured or assembled after January 1, 1968, shall be equipped with a lap-type safety belt assembly for each permanent passenger seating position. This requirement shall not apply to police vehicles.

(4) Every passenger car manufactured or assembled after January 1, 1968, shall be equipped with at least two shoulder harness-type safety belt assemblies for use in the front seating positions.

(5) Every school bus manufactured or assembled after September 1, 2024, shall be equipped with a shoulder harness-type safety belt assembly for each passenger position. The superintendent of public instruction shall include specifications for the belt assembly in the competitive quote process required under RCW 28A.160.195.

(6) The state patrol shall excuse specified types of motor vehicles or seating positions within any motor vehicle from the requirements imposed by subsections (1), (2), and (3) of this section when compliance would be impractical.

(((6)))(7) No person may distribute, have for sale, offer for sale, or sell any safety belt or shoulder harness for use in motor vehicles unless it meets current minimum standards and specifications conforming to rules adopted by the state patrol or the United States department of transportation.

Sec. 5. RCW 46.63.180 and 2013 c 306 s 716 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) By September 1, 2024, school districts ((may))must install and operate automated school bus safety cameras as defined in section 1 of this act on school buses to be used for the detection of violations of RCW 46.61.370(1) ((if the use of the cameras is approved by a vote of the school district board of directors)). School districts are not required to take school buses out of service if the ((buses are not equipped with)) automated school bus safety cameras ((or functional automated safety cameras))are nonfunctional; however, each school district must ensure that the nonfunctional camera is returned to functioning condition as soon as practicable. Further, school districts shall be held harmless from and not liable for any criminal or civil liability arising under the provisions of this section.

(a) Automated school bus safety cameras may only take pictures of the vehicle and vehicle license plate and only while an infraction is occurring. The picture must not reveal the face of the driver or of passengers in the vehicle.

(b) A notice of infraction must be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle within fourteen days of the violation, or to the renter of a vehicle within fourteen days of establishing the renter's name and address under subsection (2)(a)(i) of this section. The law enforcement officer issuing the notice of infraction shall include a certificate or facsimile of the notice, based upon inspection of photographs, microphotographs, or electronic images produced by an automated school bus safety camera, stating the facts supporting the notice of infraction. This certificate or facsimile is prima facie evidence of the facts contained in it and is admissible in a proceeding charging a violation under this chapter. The photographs, microphotographs, or electronic images evidencing the violation must be available for inspection and admission into evidence in a proceeding to adjudicate the liability for the infraction. A person receiving a notice of infraction based on evidence detected by an automated school bus safety camera may respond to the notice by mail.

(c) The registered owner of a vehicle is responsible for an infraction under RCW 46.63.030(1)(e) unless the registered owner overcomes the presumption in RCW 46.63.075, or, in the case of a rental car business, satisfies the conditions under subsection (2) of this section. If appropriate under the circumstances, a renter identified under subsection (2)(a)(i) of this section is responsible for an infraction.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all photographs, microphotographs, or electronic images prepared under this section are for the exclusive use of law enforcement in the discharge of duties under this section and are not open to the public and may not be used in a court in a pending action or proceeding unless the action or proceeding relates to a violation under this section. No photograph, microphotograph, or electronic image may be used for any purpose other than enforcement of violations under this section nor retained longer than necessary to enforce this section.

(e) ((If))When a school district installs and operates an automated school bus safety camera under this section, the compensation paid to the manufacturer or vendor of the equipment used must be based only upon the value of the equipment and services provided or rendered in support of the system, and may not be based upon a portion of the fine or civil penalty imposed or the revenue generated by the equipment. Further, any repair, replacement, or administrative work costs related to installing or repairing automated school bus safety cameras must be solely paid for by the manufacturer or vendor of the cameras. ((Before entering))When a school district enters into a contract with the manufacturer or vendor of the equipment used under this subsection (1)(e), the school district must follow the competitive bid process as outlined in RCW 28A.335.190(1).

(f) Except as provided otherwise in this subsection (1)(f) and subsections (3) and (4) of this section, any revenue collected from infractions detected through the use of automated school bus safety cameras, less the administration and operating costs of the cameras, must be remitted to school districts for school zone safety projects as determined by the school district using the automated school bus safety cameras. The administration and operating costs of the cameras includes infraction enforcement and processing costs that are incurred by local law enforcement or local courts. During the 2013-2015 fiscal biennium, the infraction revenue may also be used for school bus safety projects by those school districts eligible to apply for funding from the school zone safety account appropriation in section 201, chapter 306, Laws of 2013.

(2)(a) If the registered owner of the vehicle is a rental car business, the law enforcement agency shall, before a notice of infraction is issued under this section, provide a written notice to the rental car business that a notice of infraction may be issued to the rental car business if the rental car business does not, within eighteen days of receiving the written notice, provide to the issuing agency by return mail:

(i) A statement under oath stating the name and known mailing address of the individual driving or renting the vehicle when the infraction occurred;

(ii) A statement under oath that the business is unable to determine who was driving or renting the vehicle at the time the infraction occurred because the vehicle was stolen at the time of the infraction. A statement provided under this subsection (2)(a)(ii) must be accompanied by a copy of a filed police report regarding the vehicle theft; or

(iii) In lieu of identifying the vehicle operator, the rental car business may pay the applicable penalty.

(b) Timely mailing of a statement under this subsection to the issuing law enforcement agency relieves a rental car business of any liability under this chapter for the notice of infraction.

(3) ((For purposes of this section, "automated school bus safety camera" means a device that is affixed to a school bus that is synchronized to automatically record one or more sequenced photographs, microphotographs, or electronic images of the rear of a vehicle at the time the vehicle is detected for an infraction identified in RCW 46.61.370(1).))Any school district that is under a safety camera system contract before the effective date of this section must continue to receive funds from use of the safety camera systems that the school district has installed and may transfer the district's share of the funds to the district's transportation vehicle fund established under RCW 28A.160.130 in addition to using the funds for school zone safety projects.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6. A new section is added to chapter 46.68 RCW to read as follows:

The school bus safety account is created in the state treasury. All receipts from RCW 46.63.180(4)(a) must be deposited into the account. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Between the effective date of this section and July 31, 2028: The first ten million dollars in expenditures from the account for each year must be transferred to the general fund to pay for the cost of school bus safety belt systems; and any remaining expenditures must be used for the school bus replacement incentives under RCW 28A.160.205. Beginning August 1, 2028, expenditures from the account may only be used for school bus incentives under RCW 28A.160.205.

Sec. 7. RCW 43.84.092 and 2022 c 182 s 404 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) All earnings of investments of surplus balances in the state treasury shall be deposited to the treasury income account, which account is hereby established in the state treasury.

(2) The treasury income account shall be utilized to pay or receive funds associated with federal programs as required by the federal cash management improvement act of 1990. The treasury income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for refunds or allocations of interest earnings required by the cash management improvement act. Refunds of interest to the federal treasury required under the cash management improvement act fall under RCW 43.88.180 and shall not require appropriation. The office of financial management shall determine the amounts due to or from the federal government pursuant to the cash management improvement act. The office of financial management may direct transfers of funds between accounts as deemed necessary to implement the provisions of the cash management improvement act, and this subsection. Refunds or allocations shall occur prior to the distributions of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.

(3) Except for the provisions of RCW 43.84.160, the treasury income account may be utilized for the payment of purchased banking services on behalf of treasury funds including, but not limited to, depository, safekeeping, and disbursement functions for the state treasury and affected state agencies. The treasury income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for payments to financial institutions. Payments shall occur prior to distribution of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.

(4) Monthly, the state treasurer shall distribute the earnings credited to the treasury income account. The state treasurer shall credit the general fund with all the earnings credited to the treasury income account except:

(a) The following accounts and funds shall receive their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's and fund's average daily balance for the period: The abandoned recreational vehicle disposal account, the aeronautics account, the Alaskan Way viaduct replacement project account, the brownfield redevelopment trust fund account, the budget stabilization account, the capital vessel replacement account, the capitol building construction account, the Central Washington University capital projects account, the charitable, educational, penal and reformatory institutions account, the Chehalis basin account, the Chehalis basin taxable account, the cleanup settlement account, the climate active transportation account, the climate transit programs account, the Columbia river basin water supply development account, the Columbia river basin taxable bond water supply development account, the Columbia river basin water supply revenue recovery account, the common school construction fund, the community forest trust account, the connecting Washington account, the county arterial preservation account, the county criminal justice assistance account, the deferred compensation administrative account, the deferred compensation principal account, the department of licensing services account, the department of retirement systems expense account, the developmental disabilities community services account, the diesel idle reduction account, the drinking water assistance account, the administrative subaccount of the drinking water assistance account, the early learning facilities development account, the early learning facilities revolving account, the Eastern Washington University capital projects account, the education construction fund, the education legacy trust account, the election account, the electric vehicle account, the energy freedom account, the energy recovery act account, the essential rail assistance account, The Evergreen State College capital projects account, the fair start for kids account, the ferry bond retirement fund, the fish, wildlife, and conservation account, the freight mobility investment account, the freight mobility multimodal account, the grade crossing protective fund, the public health services account, the state higher education construction account, the higher education construction account, the higher education retirement plan supplemental benefit fund, the highway bond retirement fund, the highway infrastructure account, the highway safety fund, the hospital safety net assessment fund, the Interstate 405 and state route number 167 express toll lanes account, the judges' retirement account, the judicial retirement administrative account, the judicial retirement principal account, the limited fish and wildlife account, the local leasehold excise tax account, the local real estate excise tax account, the local sales and use tax account, the marine resources stewardship trust account, the medical aid account, the money-purchase retirement savings administrative account, the money-purchase retirement savings principal account, the motor vehicle fund, the motorcycle safety education account, the move ahead WA account, the move ahead WA flexible account, the multimodal transportation account, the multiuse roadway safety account, the municipal criminal justice assistance account, the oyster reserve land account, the pension funding stabilization account, the perpetual surveillance and maintenance account, the pilotage account, the pollution liability insurance agency underground storage tank revolving account, the public employees' retirement system plan 1 account, the public employees' retirement system combined plan 2 and plan 3 account, the public facilities construction loan revolving account, the public health supplemental account, the public works assistance account, the Puget Sound capital construction account, the Puget Sound ferry operations account, the Puget Sound Gateway facility account, the Puget Sound taxpayer accountability account, the real estate appraiser commission account, the recreational vehicle account, the regional mobility grant program account, the resource management cost account, the rural arterial trust account, the rural mobility grant program account, the rural Washington loan fund, the school bus safety account, the sexual assault prevention and response account, the site closure account, the skilled nursing facility safety net trust fund, the small city pavement and sidewalk account, the special category C account, the special wildlife account, the state investment board expense account, the state investment board commingled trust fund accounts, the state patrol highway account, the state reclamation revolving account, the state route number 520 civil penalties account, the state route number 520 corridor account, the statewide broadband account, the statewide tourism marketing account, the supplemental pension account, the Tacoma Narrows toll bridge account, the teachers' retirement system plan 1 account, the teachers' retirement system combined plan 2 and plan 3 account, the tobacco prevention and control account, the tobacco settlement account, the toll facility bond retirement account, the transportation 2003 account (nickel account), the transportation equipment fund, the transportation future funding program account, the transportation improvement account, the transportation improvement board bond retirement account, the transportation infrastructure account, the transportation partnership account, the traumatic brain injury account, the University of Washington bond retirement fund, the University of Washington building account, the voluntary cleanup account, the volunteer firefighters' and reserve officers' relief and pension principal fund, the volunteer firefighters' and reserve officers' administrative fund, the vulnerable roadway user education account, the Washington judicial retirement system account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and firefighters' system plan 1 retirement account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and firefighters' system plan 2 retirement account, the Washington public safety employees' plan 2 retirement account, the Washington school employees' retirement system combined plan 2 and 3 account, the Washington state patrol retirement account, the Washington State University building account, the Washington State University bond retirement fund, the water pollution control revolving administration account, the water pollution control revolving fund, the Western Washington University capital projects account, the Yakima integrated plan implementation account, the Yakima integrated plan implementation revenue recovery account, and the Yakima integrated plan implementation taxable bond account. Earnings derived from investing balances of the agricultural permanent fund, the normal school permanent fund, the permanent common school fund, the scientific permanent fund, and the state university permanent fund shall be allocated to their respective beneficiary accounts.

(b) Any state agency that has independent authority over accounts or funds not statutorily required to be held in the state treasury that deposits funds into a fund or account in the state treasury pursuant to an agreement with the office of the state treasurer shall receive its proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period.

(5) In conformance with Article II, section 37 of the state Constitution, no treasury accounts or funds shall be allocated earnings without the specific affirmative directive of this section.

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