HOUSE BILL REPORT

ESHB 2066

As Amended by the Senate

BYHouse Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Cantwell, Peery, Holland, Beck, Walk, Jones, Spanel, Ferguson, Cole, P. King, Winsley, Wood and Todd)

Creating an interim task force to evaluate school student transportation safety.

House Committe on Education

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (14)

      Signed by Representatives Peery, Chair; G. Fisher, Vice Chair; Cole, Dorn, Holland, Jones, Phillips, Pruitt, Rasmussen, Rayburn, Schoon, Valle, Walker and K. Wilson.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  (3)

      Signed by Representatives Betrozoff, Ranking Republican Member; Brumsickle and Fuhrman.

House Staff:Susan Patrick (786-7111)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 14, 1989

BACKGROUND:

The transportation of children is a major task of school districts and a financial obligation for the state.  A changing modern transportation system requires that transportation standards for safety and funding formulas be reviewed periodically.

SUMMARY:

An interim task force on transportation safety is created to evaluate the safety of school student transportation systems.  The task force shall study:  a) Pupil transportation including pedestrian needs, hazardous walking conditions, school crossing guards and other items; b) The need and funding for edge striping and curbing for roadways; c) Safety standards for bus fleets and other vehicles used to transport students to and from school; and d) Need for requiring infrastructure improvement in conjunction with housing development.

The task force shall be composed of two members from the House of Representatives, one from each caucus appointed by the Speaker; two members from the Senate, one from each caucus appointed by the President of the Senate; the Superintendent of Public Instruction or her designee; the director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission or his designee and a representative of the housing industry, a county traffic safety engineer, a school board member, two local elected officials, a local law enforcement representative and a member of the Washington State Parent Teacher Association.

The chair of the task force shall be one of the legislative members as determined by a vote.  The chair shall select members of the task force not selected by another person or organization.

The task force shall be staffed jointly by the Legislative Transportation Committee and the Senate and House Education Committees.  The report from the task force is due March 31, 1990 and the task force shall expire at that time.

EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENTS:  The study of transportation issues will be staffed by the Traffic Safety Commission, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and such staff as may be provided by the Governor's Office rather than the Education Committees and Transportation Committee staff.

A new section is added requiring cities, towns and counties to adopt regulations and procedures as part of their short plat regulations to provide for considering sidewalks and other planning features that assure safe walking conditions for students who walk to and from school.

Fiscal Note:      Requested February 21, 1989.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Representative Maria Cantwell; Don Carnahan, Superintendent of Public Instruction; Dianne Campbell, School Board Member, Northshore School District; and Christine Reardon, parent.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    As we have developed the unincorporated portions of counties the traffic patterns have changed.  Often roads that received little traffic only a few years ago have become major arterials with no stop lights or stop signs.  These roads have proved hazardous to students walking to schools.  Often adjacent cities and counties argue over who is responsible for the road when it runs through several jurisdictions.  It is not acceptable to have to wait until a child is injured to force action.  The purpose of this study is to encourage cooperation of the many jurisdictions involved and also to review hazards as they apply to students residing within one mile of school.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.

VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      Yeas 98