HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 EHB 1097

                      As Passed House:

                      February 12, 1999

Title:  An act relating to fare payment and enforcement by regional transit authorities.

Brief Description:  Allowing a regional transit authority to establish fines for certain civil infractions.

Sponsors:  Representatives Cairnes, Constantine, Sheahan, Murray, Kastama, Edwards, K. Schmidt, Fisher and Rockefeller.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Transportation:  2/1/99, 2/2/99 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  2/12/99, 94-0.

                 Brief Summary of Bill

Regional transit authorities are authorized to:

$Require proof of fare payment.

$Establish a schedule of civil infractions for failure to pay required fares.

$Employ enforcement officers to enforce fare payment and issue citations.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 27 members:  Representatives Fisher, Democratic Co-Chair; Schmidt, Republican Co-Chair; Cooper, Democratic 1st Vice Chair; Edwards, Democratic 2nd Vice Chair; Ericksen, Republican Vice Chair; Hankins, Republican Vice Chair; Buck; DeBolt; Fortunato; Haigh; Hatfield; Hurst; Lovick; McDonald; Mielke; Mitchell; Morris; Murray; Ogden; Pflug; Radcliff; Romero; Schindler; Schual-Berke; Scott; Skinner and Wood.

Staff:  Kelly Simpson (786-7305).

Background:

Regional transit authorities in Washington currently lack express statutory authority to enforce proof of fare payment of those individuals using transit services.  Washington law does allow state and local governments to establish and enforce a system of civil infractions to be composed of minor offenses, noncriminal in nature, subject to the imposition of civil fines.

Summary of Bill:

Regional transit authorities are authorized to:  (1) require proof of fare payment; (2) set a schedule of fines and penalties, not to exceed $250, for failure to pay required fares and failure to depart a train when requested to do so; and (3) employ individuals to monitor fare payment, issue citations for fare nonpayment, and request passengers to leave regional transit authority trains for failure to produce proof of fare payment.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Sound Transit intends to implement a "barrier free" method of passenger fare payment in order to allow for expedited passenger boarding on Sound Transit trains.  HB 1097 would provide Sound Transit the authority to implement and enforce this system.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Dave Earling, Sound Transit.