HOUSE BILL REPORT

ESHB 1450

As Amended by the Senate

BYHouse Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives R. Meyers, Heavey, Schmidt, Walk, D. Sommers, Todd, Kremen, Jones, Zellinsky, Haugen, Wood, Prentice, Cooper, Chandler and Winsley)

Regulating motor fuel quality.

House Committe on Transportation

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (26)

      Signed by Representatives Walk, Chair; Baugher, Vice Chair; Schmidt, Ranking Republican Member; Wood, Assistant Ranking Republican Member; Cantwell, Cooper, Day, G. Fisher, R. Fisher, Gallagher, Hankins, Haugen, Heavey, Jones, Kremen, R. Meyers, Nelson, Patrick, Prentice, Prince, Smith, D. Sommers, Todd, Walker, S. Wilson and Zellinsky.

House Staff:Brad Lovaas (786-7307)

AS PASSED HOUSE JANUARY 19, 1990

BACKGROUND:

Motor gasoline standards were first established in 1937, and have been updated nearly every year since 1970.  Currently, 39 states have motor fuel quality standards.  Twenty-nine require all motor fuels to meet the standards of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM), and ten states have set their own standards.  Eleven states, including Washington, have no motor fuel quality laws.

SUMMARY:

A motor fuel quality program is established within the Department of Agriculture.  The Department is authorized to sample and test all motor fuels sold in the state.  All motor fuels must be registered before being offered for sale.  A wilful violation of this provision is punishable as a misdemeanor.  Eight hundred twenty thousand dollars is appropriated from the Motor Vehicle Fund for the establishment and operation of a testing laboratory and the funding of the program.

EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENTS:  The proposed striking amendment makes the following changes:

Language is clarified to state that the program is intended to inspect only motor vehicle fuel.  Marine fuel is exempt.  The Department of Agriculture shall adopt rules consistent with the federal EPA standards.

A civil penalty ranging from $100 to $10,000 is created.  The penalty will be assessed on the degree of severity of the violation, and the violator's previous history.  All civil penalties shall be deposited in the motor vehicle fund.

The appropriation of $820,000 from the motor vehicle fund is deleted.

The effective date of the program is moved from July 1, 1991 to July 1, 1990.

Appropriation:    $820,000 to the Department of Agriculture.

Fiscal Note:      Available.

Effective Date:Section 4 (7) takes effect on July 1, 1989.  The remainder of the bill takes effect on July 1, 1990.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Tim Hamilton, Automobile United Trade Organization; Pat Halstead, Automobile Club of Washington; Randy Ray, Washington Oil Marketers Association; Stu Delaney, Department of Agriculture.

House Committee - Testified Against:      No one.

House Committee - Testimony For:    Thirty-nine states have fuel quality standards.  Washington has none.  Car systems are becoming more complex, and so is gasoline.  Alternative fuels and blends are being introduced into the market place.  Other than fuel quality, a program is needed to prevent profiteering from mislabeling with respect to octane levels.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None.

VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      Yeas 95, Absent 3

Absent:     Representatives Brekke, Day, Locke