Sponsors: By Representatives Hinkle, Murray, Armstrong, Priest, Boldt, Lovick, Mielke and Haigh.

Brief Summary of Bill

• Expands the current school and playground speed zone law to allow counties and incorporated cities and towns to create school or playground speed zones that may extend 300 feet from the border of the school or playground property.

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 29 members: Representatives Murray, Chair; Rockefeller, Vice Chair; Simpson, Vice Chair; Ericksen, Ranking Minority Member; Jarrett, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Anderson, Armstrong, Bailey, Campbell, Clibborn, Cooper, Dickerson, Edwards, Flannigan, Hankins, Hatfield, Hudgins, Kristiansen, Lovick, Mielke, Morris, Nixon, Romero, Schindler, Shabro, Sullivan, Wallace, Wood and Woods.

Current law provides for the creation of school and playground speed zones that limit traffic speed to 20 miles per hour. These speed zones extend 300 feet from either side of a marked school or playground crosswalk, when speed limit signs are clearly posted at the crosswalk. Fines for violating the speed limit zones are doubled. In some areas, particularly in rural communities where marked crosswalks are not provided, local authorities have established school or playground speed zones that extend from the property line in order to protect pedestrian traffic. Proponents of this bill are concerned that clear statutory authority does not currently exist to allow local jurisdictions to establish these speed zones from the property line rather than a crosswalk.

House Bill 1114 expands the current law to allow counties and incorporated cities and towns to create school or playground speed zones on highways bordering a marked school or playground and may extend 300 feet from the property border. Driving speed in such marked zones is limited to 20 miles per hour.

The speed zones created by local jurisdictions must be limited to areas consistent with active school or playground use.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: This bill clarifies the current law to allow schools, where marked crosswalks are not available, the authority to establish school speed zones and provide additional safety to children and youth traveling to and from schools.

(With concerns) Extending a school speed zone a full 300 feet from each boundary of a school's property line may create a very large speed zone. Local authorities are encouraged to use the discretion provided in the bill to limit the size of these speed zones where appropriate.