Read first time 01/13/2005.   Referred to Committee on Water, Energy & Environment.

     AN ACT Relating to reducing nuisance noise from off-road vehicles; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1)(a) A task force on off-road vehicle noise management is established. The task force consists of the following members:
     (i) Two members from each of the two largest caucuses of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
     (ii) Two members from each of the two largest caucuses of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate; and
     (iii) Participants invited by the legislative members, including but not limited to persons representing the following:
     (A) Three county commissioners, one representing counties with a population of two hundred thousand or more people and two representing counties with populations of fewer than two hundred thousand people;
     (B) A representative of port districts;
     (C) A representative of the department of natural resources, selected by the commissioner of public lands;
     (D) A representative of the department of ecology, selected by the director of ecology;
     (E) A representative of the interagency committee for outdoor recreation, selected by the director of the committee;
     (F) A representative of the parks and recreation commission, selected by the director of the commission;
     (G) A person representing manufacturers of off-road vehicles;
     (H) A representative of the United States forest service;
     (I) Recreational users; and
     (J) Interested citizens.
     (b) The committee shall choose its chair from among its membership.
     (2) The committee shall review the following issues:
     (a) The appropriateness and enforceability of current decibel requirements for off-road vehicles;
     (b) The appropriateness of any off-road vehicle usage requirements
that would minimize nuisance noise impacts on those not operating the off-road vehicle;
     (c) The applicability and consistency of local ordinances concerning noise and off-road vehicle usage; and
     (d) The availability of, and barriers to, using public lands or other large ownerships to create areas where off-road vehicles can be operated with minimum noise disturbance of neighbors.
     (3)(a) The committee shall be staffed by the house office of program research and senate committee services.
     (b) Legislative members of the committee will be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120.
     (4) The committee shall report its findings and recommendations in the form of draft legislation to the legislature by December 1, 2005.
     (5) This section expires July 1, 2006.