S-627                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5038

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Senator Conner

Read first time 1/11/89 and referred to Committee on Transportation.

AN ACT Relating to vehicle inspection; and amending RCW 46.32.010, 46.32.020, and 46.32.040.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

        Sec. 1.  Section 46.32.010, chapter 12, Laws of 1961 as last amended by section 1, chapter 123, Laws of 1986 and RCW 46.32.010 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) The chief of the Washington state patrol may operate, maintain, or designate, throughout the state of Washington, stations for the inspection of vehicle equipment.  The state patrol may also inspect school buses and private carrier buses((,)) with respect to vehicle equipment, drivers' qualifications((,)) and hours of service ((and to)).  The chief may set reasonable times when inspection of vehicles shall be performed.

          (2) The inspection of private, common, and contract carriers with respect to vehicle equipment, drivers' qualifications, and hours of service shall be done in conjunction with weight enforcement under RCW 46.44.100.

          (3)  It is unlawful for any vehicle required to be inspected to be operated over the public highways of this state unless and until it has been approved periodically as to equipment.

          (4) Inspections shall be performed by a responsible employee of the chief of the Washington state patrol, who shall be duly authorized and who shall have authority to secure and withhold, with written notice to the director of licensing, the certificate of license registration and license plates of any vehicle found to be defective in equipment so as to be unsafe or unfit to be operated upon the highways of this state, and it shall be unlawful for any person to operate such vehicle unless and until it has been placed in a condition satisfactory to pass a subsequent equipment inspection.   The police officer in charge of such vehicle equipment inspection shall grant to the operator of such defective vehicle the privilege to move such vehicle to a place for repair under such restrictions as may be reasonably necessary.

          (5) In the event any insignia, sticker, or other marker is adopted to be displayed upon vehicles in connection with the inspection of vehicle equipment, it shall be displayed as required by the rules of the chief of the Washington state patrol, and it is a traffic infraction for any person to mutilate, destroy, remove, or otherwise interfere with the display thereof.

          (6) It is a traffic infraction for any person to refuse to have his motor vehicle examined as required by the chief of the Washington state patrol, or, after having had it examined, to refuse to place an insignia, sticker, or other marker, if issued, upon the vehicle, or fraudulently to obtain any such insignia, sticker, or other marker, or to refuse to place his motor vehicle in proper condition after having had it examined, or in any manner, to fail to conform to the provisions of this chapter.

          (7) It is a traffic infraction for any person to perform false or improvised repairs, or repairs in any manner not in accordance with acceptable and customary repair practices, upon a motor vehicle.

        Sec. 2.  Section 46.32.020, chapter 12, Laws of 1961 as amended by section 2, chapter 123, Laws of 1986 and RCW 46.32.020 are each amended to read as follows:

          The chief of the Washington state patrol may adopt reasonable rules regarding ((types of vehicles to be inspected,)) inspection criteria, times for the inspection of vehicle equipment, and all other matters with respect to the conduct of vehicle equipment inspections.

          The chief of the Washington state patrol shall prepare and furnish such stickers, tags, record and report forms, stationery, and other supplies as shall be deemed necessary.  The chief of the Washington state patrol is empowered to appoint and employ such assistants as he may consider necessary and to fix hours of employment and compensation.

        Sec. 3.  Section 46.32.040, chapter 12, Laws of 1961 as amended by section 3, chapter 123, Laws of 1986 and RCW 46.32.040 are each amended to read as follows:

          Vehicle equipment inspection shall be ((at such intervals as required by)) done on an annual basis as a part of the vehicle registration renewal process.  The chief of the Washington state patrol ((and)) shall ((be made without charge)) establish the fee for the inspection to cover the costs of operating and maintaining the inspection facilities.