HOUSE BILL REPORT

SB 5552

BYSenators Patterson, Hansen, Madsen and Benitz; by request of Utilities and Transportation Commission

Repealing filing requirements for interstate tariffs.

House Committe on Transportation

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (18)

      Signed by Representatives Walk, Chair; Betrozoff, Cooper, Day, G. Fisher, R. Fisher, Haugen, Heavey, Jones, Kremen, R. Meyers, Nelson, Prentice, Smith, D. Sommers, Todd, Walker and Zellinsky.

House Staff:Mary McLaughlin (786-7309)

AS PASSED HOUSE APRIL 13, 1989

BACKGROUND:

The federal Motor Carrier Act of 1980 effectively ended federal rate regulation of the interstate trucking industry.  While tariffs are still filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission, liberal discounting is allowed.  Therefore, the filed rate does not reflect what is actually being charged in the market place.  (There is no federal limitation on discounting, but discounts are a maximum of 50-60 percent below the filed rate, with the average being 20 percent.)  Although the Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) is required to maintain interstate rate files, the commission does not have the authority to regulate interstate rates.  The UTC currently maintains an interstate transportation tariff file for 300-400 transportation companies, generating approximately 1,900 revised tariff pages monthly.

SUMMARY:

Transportation companies are no longer required to file interstate rates with the Utilities and Transportation Commission.

Fiscal Note:      Available.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Steve McLellan, Utilities and Transportation Commission.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    Maintaining an interstate tariff file serves no useful purpose.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.