ESHB 2480 -
By Committee on Transportation
ADOPTED 03/07/2008
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 A new section is added to chapter 35.58 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) Persons traveling on public transportation operated by a
metropolitan municipal corporation or a city-owned transit system shall
pay the fare established by the metropolitan municipal corporation or
the city-owned transit system. Such persons shall produce proof of
payment when requested by a person designated to monitor fare payment.
(2) The following constitute civil infractions punishable according
to the schedule of fines and penalties established by a metropolitan
municipal corporation or a city-owned transit system under section 2 of
this act:
(a) Failure to pay the required fare;
(b) Failure to display proof of payment when requested to do so by
a person designated to monitor fare payment; and
(c) Failure to depart the bus or other mode of public
transportation when requested to do so by a person designated to
monitor fare payment.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 35.58 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) Both a metropolitan municipal corporation and a city-owned
transit system may establish, by resolution, a schedule of fines and
penalties for civil infractions established in section 1 of this act.
Fines established shall not exceed those imposed for class 1
infractions under RCW 7.80.120.
(2)(a) Both a metropolitan municipal corporation and a city-owned
transit system may designate persons to monitor fare payment who are
equivalent to, and are authorized to exercise all the powers of, an
enforcement officer as defined in RCW 7.80.040. Both a metropolitan
municipal corporation and a city-owned transit system may employ
personnel to either monitor fare payment or contract for such services,
or both.
(b) In addition to the specific powers granted to enforcement
officers under RCW 7.80.050 and 7.80.060, persons designated to monitor
fare payment may also take the following actions:
(i) Request proof of payment from passengers;
(ii) Request personal identification from a passenger who does not
produce proof of payment when requested;
(iii) Issue a citation conforming to the requirements established
in RCW 7.80.070; and
(iv) Request that a passenger leave the bus or other mode of public
transportation when the passenger has not produced proof of payment
after being asked to do so by a person designated to monitor fare
payment.
(3) Both a metropolitan municipal corporation and a city-owned
transit system shall keep records of citations in the manner prescribed
by RCW 7.80.150. All civil infractions established by this section and
sections 1 and 3 of this act shall be heard and determined by a
district court as provided in RCW 7.80.010 (1) and (4).
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 A new section is added to chapter 35.58 RCW
to read as follows:
Sections 1 and 2 of this act do not prevent law enforcement
authorities from prosecuting for theft, trespass, or other charges by
any individual who:
(1) Fails to pay the required fare on more than one occasion within
a twelve-month period;
(2) Fails to timely select one of the options for responding to the
notice of civil infraction after receiving a statement of the options
for responding to the notice of infraction and the procedures necessary
to exercise these options; or
(3) Fails to depart the bus or other mode of public transportation
when requested to do so by a person designated to monitor fare payment.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4 A new section is added to chapter 35.58 RCW
to read as follows:
The powers and authority conferred by sections 1 through 3 of this
act shall be construed as in addition and supplemental to powers or
authority conferred by any other law, and nothing contained therein
shall be construed as limiting any other powers or authority of any
public agency.
Sec. 5 RCW 35.58.020 and 1982 c 103 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
The definitions set forth in this section apply throughout this
chapter.
(1) "Metropolitan municipal corporation" means a municipal
corporation of the state of Washington created pursuant to this
chapter, or a county which has by ordinance or resolution assumed the
rights, powers, functions, and obligations of a metropolitan municipal
corporation pursuant to the provisions of chapter 36.56 RCW.
(2) "Metropolitan area" means the area contained within the
boundaries of a metropolitan municipal corporation, or within the
boundaries of an area proposed to be organized as such a corporation.
(3) "City" means an incorporated city or town.
(4) "Component city" means an incorporated city or town within a
metropolitan area.
(5) "Component county" means a county, all or part of which is
included within a metropolitan area.
(6) "Central city" means the city with the largest population in a
metropolitan area.
(7) "Central county" means the county containing the city with the
largest population in a metropolitan area.
(8) "Special district" means any municipal corporation of the state
of Washington other than a city, county, or metropolitan municipal
corporation.
(9) "Metropolitan council" means the legislative body of a
metropolitan municipal corporation, or the legislative body of a county
which has by ordinance or resolution assumed the rights, powers,
functions, and obligations of a metropolitan municipal corporation
pursuant to the provisions of chapter 36.56 RCW.
(10) "City council" means the legislative body of any city or town.
(11) "Population" means the number of residents as shown by the
figures released for the most recent official state, federal, or county
census, or population determination made under the direction of the
office of financial management.
(12) "Metropolitan function" means any of the functions of
government named in RCW 35.58.050.
(13) "Authorized metropolitan function" means a metropolitan
function which a metropolitan municipal corporation shall have been
authorized to perform in the manner provided in this chapter.
(14) "Metropolitan public transportation" or "metropolitan
transportation" for the purposes of this chapter means the
transportation of packages, passengers, and their incidental baggage by
means other than by chartered bus, sightseeing bus, or any other motor
vehicle not on an individual fare-paying basis, together with the
necessary passenger terminals and parking facilities or other
properties necessary for passenger and vehicular access to and from
such people-moving systems: PROVIDED, That nothing in this chapter
shall be construed to prohibit a metropolitan municipal corporation
from leasing its buses to private certified carriers; to prohibit a
metropolitan municipal corporation from providing school bus service
for the transportation of pupils; or to prohibit a metropolitan
municipal corporation from chartering an electric streetcar on rails
which it operates entirely within a city.
(15) "Pollution" has the meaning given in RCW 90.48.020.
(16) "Proof of payment" means evidence of fare prepayment
authorized by a metropolitan municipal corporation or a city-owned
transit system for the use of buses or other modes of public
transportation.
(17) "City-owned transit system" means a system of public
transportation owned or operated, including contracts for the services
of a publicly owned or operated system of transportation, by a city
that is not located within the boundaries of a metropolitan municipal
corporation, county transportation authority, or public transportation
benefit area.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6 A new section is added to chapter 36.57A RCW
to read as follows:
(1) Persons traveling on public transportation operated by a public
transportation benefit area shall pay the fare established by the
public transportation benefit area. Such persons shall produce proof
of payment when requested by a person designated to monitor fare
payment.
(2) The following constitute civil infractions punishable according
to the schedule of fines and penalties established by a public
transportation benefit area under section 7 of this act:
(a) Failure to pay the required fare;
(b) Failure to display proof of payment when requested to do so by
a person designated to monitor fare payment; and
(c) Failure to depart the bus or other mode of public
transportation when requested to do so by a person designated to
monitor fare payment.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7 A new section is added to chapter 36.57A RCW
to read as follows:
(1) A public transportation benefit area may establish, by
resolution, a schedule of fines and penalties for civil infractions
established in section 6 of this act. Fines established shall not
exceed those imposed for class 1 infractions under RCW 7.80.120.
(2)(a) A public transportation benefit area may designate persons
to monitor fare payment who are equivalent to, and are authorized to
exercise all the powers of, an enforcement officer as defined in RCW
7.80.040. A public transportation benefit area may employ personnel to
either monitor fare payment or contract for such services, or both.
(b) In addition to the specific powers granted to enforcement
officers under RCW 7.80.050 and 7.80.060, persons designated to monitor
fare payment may also take the following actions:
(i) Request proof of payment from passengers;
(ii) Request personal identification from a passenger who does not
produce proof of payment when requested;
(iii) Issue a citation conforming to the requirements established
in RCW 7.80.070; and
(iv) Request that a passenger leave the bus or other mode of public
transportation when the passenger has not produced proof of payment
after being asked to do so by a person designated to monitor fare
payment.
(3) A public transportation benefit area shall keep records of
citations in the manner prescribed by RCW 7.80.150. All civil
infractions established by this section and sections 6 and 8 of this
act shall be heard and determined by a district court as provided in
RCW 7.80.010 (1) and (4).
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8 A new section is added to chapter 36.57A RCW
to read as follows:
Sections 6 and 7 of this act do not prevent law enforcement
authorities from prosecuting for theft, trespass, or other charges by
any individual who:
(1) Fails to pay the required fare on more than one occasion within
a twelve-month period;
(2) Fails to timely select one of the options for responding to the
notice of civil infraction after receiving a statement of the options
for responding to the notice of infraction and the procedures necessary
to exercise these options; or
(3) Fails to depart the bus or other mode of public transportation
when requested to do so by a person designated to monitor fare payment.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 9 A new section is added to chapter 36.57A RCW
to read as follows:
The powers and authority conferred by sections 6 through 8 of this
act shall be construed as in addition and supplemental to powers or
authority conferred by any other law, and nothing contained therein
shall be construed as limiting any other powers or authority of any
public agency.
Sec. 10 RCW 36.57A.010 and 2003 c 83 s 209 are each amended to
read as follows:
The definitions set forth in this section apply throughout this
chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Public transportation benefit area" means a municipal
corporation of the state of Washington created pursuant to this
chapter.
(2) "Public transportation benefit area authority" or "authority"
means the legislative body of a public transportation benefit area.
(3) "City" means an incorporated city or town.
(4) "Component city" means an incorporated city or town within a
public transportation benefit area.
(5) "City council" means the legislative body of any city or town.
(6) "County legislative authority" means the board of county
commissioners or the county council.
(7) "Population" means the number of residents as shown by the
figures released for the most recent official state, federal, or county
census, or population determination made by the office of financial
management.
(8) "Proof of payment" means evidence of fare prepayment authorized
by a public transportation benefit area for the use of buses or other
modes of public transportation.
(9) "Public transportation service" means the transportation of
packages, passengers, and their incidental baggage by means other than
by chartered bus, sight-seeing bus, together with the necessary
passenger terminals and parking facilities or other properties
necessary for passenger and vehicular access to and from such people
moving systems: PROVIDED, That nothing shall prohibit an authority
from leasing its buses to private certified carriers or prohibit the
authority from providing school bus service. "Public transportation
service" includes passenger-only ferry service for those public
transportation benefit areas eligible to provide passenger-only ferry
service under RCW 36.57A.200.
(((9))) (10) "Public transportation improvement conference" or
"conference" means the body established pursuant to RCW 36.57A.020
which shall be authorized to establish, subject to the provisions of
RCW 36.57A.030, a public transportation benefit area pursuant to the
provisions of this chapter.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 11 The code reviser shall alphabetize and
renumber the definitions in RCW 35.58.020 and 36.57A.010."
ESHB 2480 -
By Committee on Transportation
ADOPTED 03/07/2008
On page 1, line 1 of the title, after "fares;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "amending RCW 35.58.020 and 36.57A.010; adding new sections to chapter 35.58 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 36.57A RCW; creating a new section; and prescribing penalties."
EFFECT: Clarifies that the bill provides additional powers or authority to supplement existing law, and does not limit existing powers or authority granted to any public agency.