HOUSE BILL REPORT

REHB 1093

BYRepresentatives Zellinsky, Lux, Chandler, Schmidt and P. King 

Revising deposit, permit, and insurance requirements for public fireworks displays.

House Committe on Financial Institutions & Insurance

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (12)

      Signed by Representatives Lux, Chair; Zellinsky, Vice Chair; Anderson, Betrozoff, Crane, Day, Dellwo, Dorn, Ferguson, P. King, Nutley and Winsley.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  (1)

      Signed by Representative Silver.

House Staff:John Conniff (786-7119)

AS PASSED HOUSE JANUARY 25, 1988

BACKGROUND:

The Washington State Fireworks Law requires any person desiring to put on a public display of fireworks to obtain a public display permit from the local fire official.  No permit may be issued until the applicant obtains a bond or liability insurance policy to cover any injuries or property damage that may result from the fireworks display.  The statute requires that the limit of insurance coverage be a minimum of fifty thousand dollars per person and one million dollars per event for bodily injury and twenty-five thousand dollars per event for property damage.

SUMMARY:

The statutory requirements for liability insurance or bond for public fireworks displays are amended by deleting provisions relating to bonds and modifying the required limits of liability insurance.

Instead of a bond, a person seeking a permit for a public fireworks display may deposit fifty thousand dollars in an escrow account for each display up to a maximum deposit of one hundred thousand dollars which must be returned to the depositor thirty days after the display if no claim for damages has been made.

A city or county may waive the deposit and insurance requirements.

The liability insurance limits for bodily injuries caused by fireworks displays are lowered to five hundred thousand dollars per display and the limits for property damage caused by fireworks displays are increased to one hundred thousand dollars.

The fireworks permit fee for the administrative costs of a local public agency is increased from one hundred to three hundred dollars.  The additional two hundred dollars must be deposited in a self-insurance or indemnification fund for the agency.  These fees may be waived by the agency.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    None Presented.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.