H-1297              _______________________________________________

                                            HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 27

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Representatives Miller, Hastings, Tilly, Locke and Brough

Read first time 2/8/85 and referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.

TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

          We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

          WHEREAS, Fireworks are a dangerous instrumentality and have been responsible for deaths, injuries, and significant property damage; and

          WHEREAS, The United States has seen fit to regulate the manufacture and sale of fireworks through the United States Bureau of Explosives and the transportation of fireworks through its Department of Transportation; and

          WHEREAS, Regulation of and restrictions on fireworks exist in most states of the United States under their power to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their citizens; and

          WHEREAS, Regulations and laws vary from state to state, and different citizen groups in the states have different needs; and

          WHEREAS, The Washington State Legislature has enacted laws to protect its citizens from various types of dangerous fireworks;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that a uniform federal law be enacted to prohibit the transportation of dangerous fireworks destined for but not through states which have laws prohibiting the sale and use of those fireworks.

          BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.