BILL REQ. #:  H-1351.1 

Read first time 02/16/09.   Referred to Committee on Local Government & Housing.

     AN ACT Relating to installation of residential fire sprinkler systems; amending RCW 18.160.050, 82.02.100, and 70.119A.180; adding a new section to chapter 80.28 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature recognizes that fire sprinkler systems in private residences may prevent catastrophic losses of life and property, but that financial, technical, and other issues often discourage property owners from installing these protective systems.
     It is the intent of the legislature to eradicate barriers that prevent the voluntary installation of sprinkler systems in private residences by promoting education regarding the effectiveness of residential fire sprinklers, and by providing financial and regulatory incentives to homeowners, builders, and water purveyors for voluntarily installing the systems.

Sec. 2   RCW 18.160.050 and 2008 c 155 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1)(a) All certificate of competency holders that desire to continue in the fire protection sprinkler business shall annually, prior to January 1, secure from the state director of fire protection a renewal certificate of competency upon payment of the fee as prescribed by the state director of fire protection. Application for renewal shall be upon a form prescribed by the state director of fire protection and the certificate holder shall furnish the information required by the director.
     (b) Failure of any certificate of competency holder to secure his or her renewal certificate of competency within sixty days after the due date shall constitute sufficient cause for the state director of fire protection to suspend the certificate of competency.
     (c) The state director of fire protection may, upon the receipt of payment of all delinquent fees including a late charge, restore a certificate of competency that has been suspended for failure to pay the renewal fee.
     (d) A certificate of competency holder may voluntarily surrender his or her certificate of competency to the state director of fire protection and be relieved of the annual renewal fee. After surrendering the certificate of competency, he or she shall not be known as a certificate of competency holder and shall desist from the practice thereof. Within two years from the time of surrender of the certificate of competency, he or she may again qualify for a certificate of competency, without examination, by the payment of the required fee. If two or more years have elapsed, he or she shall return to the status of a new applicant.
     (2)(a) All licensed fire protection sprinkler system contractors desiring to continue to be licensed shall annually, prior to January 1, secure from the state director of fire protection a renewal license upon payment of the fee as prescribed by the state director of fire protection. Application for renewal shall be upon a form prescribed by the state director of fire protection and the license holder shall furnish the information required by the director.
     (b) Failure of any license holder to secure his or her renewal license within sixty days after the due date shall constitute sufficient cause for the state director of fire protection to suspend the license.
     (c) The state director of fire protection may, upon the receipt of payment of all delinquent fees including a late charge, restore a license that has been suspended for failure to pay the renewal fee.
     (3) The initial certificate of competency or license fee shall be prorated based upon the portion of the year such certificate of competency or license is in effect, prior to renewal on January 1.
     (4) The fire protection contractor license fund is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from license and certificate fees and charges or from the money generated by the rules and regulations promulgated under this chapter shall be deposited into the fund. Expenditures from the fund may be used only for purposes authorized under this chapter and standards for fire protection and its enforcement, with respect to all hospitals as required by RCW 70.41.080((, and)); for providing assistance in identifying fire sprinkler system components that have been subject to either a recall or voluntary replacement program by a manufacturer of fire sprinkler products, a nationally recognized testing laboratory, or the federal consumer product safety commission; and for use in developing and publishing educational materials related to the effectiveness of residential fire sprinklers. Assistance shall include, but is not limited to, aiding in the identification of recalled components, information sharing strategies aimed at ensuring the consumer is made aware of recalls and voluntary replacement programs, and providing training and assistance to local fire authorities, the fire sprinkler industry, and the public. Only the state director of fire protection or the director's designee may authorize expenditures from the fund. The fund is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for expenditures.

Sec. 3   RCW 82.02.100 and 1992 c 219 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) A person required to pay a fee pursuant to RCW 43.21C.060 for system improvements shall not be required to pay an impact fee under RCW 82.02.050 through 82.02.090 for those same system improvements.
     (2) A person installing a residential fire sprinkler system in a single-family home shall not be required to pay the fire operations portion of the impact fee. The exempted fire operations impact fee shall not include the proportionate share related to the delivery of emergency medical services.

Sec. 4   RCW 70.119A.180 and 2003 1st sp.s. c 5 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) It is the intent of the legislature that the department establish water use efficiency requirements designed to ensure efficient use of water while maintaining water system financial viability, improving affordability of supplies, and enhancing system reliability.
     (2) The requirements of this section shall apply to all municipal water suppliers and shall be tailored to be appropriate to system size, forecasted system demand, and system supply characteristics.
     (3) For the purposes of this section:
     (a) Water use efficiency includes conservation planning requirements, water distribution system leakage standards, and water conservation performance reporting requirements; and
     (b) "Municipal water supplier" and "municipal water supply purposes" have the meanings provided by RCW 90.03.015.
     (4) To accomplish the purposes of this section, the department shall adopt rules necessary to implement this section by December 31, 2005. The department shall:
     (a) Develop conservation planning requirements that ensure municipal water suppliers are: (i) Implementing programs to integrate conservation with water system operation and management; and (ii) identifying how to appropriately fund and implement conservation activities. Requirements shall apply to the conservation element of water system plans and small water system management programs developed pursuant to chapter 43.20 RCW. In establishing the conservation planning requirements the department shall review the current department conservation planning guidelines and include those elements that are appropriate for rule. Conservation planning requirements shall include but not be limited to:
     (A) Selection of cost-effective measures to achieve a system's water conservation objectives. Requirements shall allow the municipal water supplier to select and schedule implementation of the best methods for achieving its conservation objectives;
     (B) Evaluation of the feasibility of adopting and implementing water delivery rate structures that encourage water conservation;
     (C) Evaluation of each system's water distribution system leakage and, if necessary, identification of steps necessary for achieving water distribution system leakage standards developed under (b) of this subsection;
     (D) Collection and reporting of water consumption and source production and/or water purchase data. Data collection and reporting requirements shall be sufficient to identify water use patterns among utility customer classes, where applicable, and evaluate the effectiveness of each system's conservation program. Requirements, including reporting frequency, shall be appropriate to system size and complexity. Reports shall be available to the public; and
     (E) Establishment of minimum requirements for water demand forecast methodologies such that demand forecasts prepared by municipal water suppliers are sufficient for use in determining reasonably anticipated future water needs;
     (b) Develop water distribution system leakage standards to ensure that municipal water suppliers are taking appropriate steps to reduce water system leakage rates or are maintaining their water distribution systems in a condition that results in leakage rates in compliance with the standards. The standards shall include estimated additional metering losses due to meter upsizing required when a residential fire sprinkler system is installed. Limits shall be developed in terms of percentage of total water produced and/or purchased and shall not be lower than ten percent. The department may consider alternatives to the percentage of total water supplied where alternatives provide a better evaluation of the water system's leakage performance. The department shall institute a graduated system of requirements based on levels of water system leakage. A municipal water supplier shall select one or more control methods appropriate for addressing leakage in its water system;
     (c) Establish minimum requirements for water conservation performance reporting to assure that municipal water suppliers are regularly evaluating and reporting their water conservation performance. The objective of setting conservation goals is to enhance the efficient use of water by the water system customers. Performance reporting shall include:
     (i) Requirements that municipal water suppliers adopt and achieve water conservation goals. The elected governing board or governing body of the water system shall set water conservation goals for the system. In setting water conservation goals the water supplier may consider historic conservation performance and conservation investment, customer base demographics, regional climate variations, forecasted demand and system supply characteristics, system financial viability, system reliability, and affordability of water rates. Conservation goals shall be established by the municipal water supplier in an open public forum;
     (ii) Requirements that the municipal water supplier adopt schedules for implementing conservation program elements and achieving conservation goals to ensure that progress is being made toward adopted conservation goals;
     (iii) A reporting system for regular reviews of conservation performance against adopted goals. Performance reports shall be available to customers and the public. Requirements, including reporting frequency, shall be appropriate to system size and complexity;
     (iv) Requirements that any system not meeting its water conservation goals shall develop a plan for modifying its conservation program to achieve its goals along with procedures for reporting performance to the department;
     (v) If a municipal water supplier determines that further reductions in consumption are not reasonably achievable, it shall identify how current consumption levels will be maintained;
     (d) Adopt rules that, to the maximum extent practical, utilize existing mechanisms and simplified procedures in order to minimize the cost and complexity of implementation and to avoid placing unreasonable financial burden on smaller municipal systems.
     (5) The department shall establish an advisory committee to assist the department in developing rules for water use efficiency. The advisory committee shall include representatives from public water system customers, environmental interest groups, business interest groups, a representative cross-section of municipal water suppliers, a water utility conservation professional, tribal governments, the department of ecology, and any other members determined necessary by the department. The department may use the water supply advisory committee created pursuant to RCW 70.119A.160 augmented with additional participants as necessary to comply with this subsection to assist the department in developing rules.
     (6) The department shall provide technical assistance upon request to municipal water suppliers and local governments regarding water conservation, which may include development of best management practices for water conservation programs, conservation landscape ordinances, conservation rate structures for public water systems, and general public education programs on water conservation.
     (7) To ensure compliance with this section, the department shall establish a compliance process that incorporates a graduated approach employing the full range of compliance mechanisms available to the department.
     (8) Prior to completion of rule making required in subsection (4) of this section, municipal water suppliers shall continue to meet the existing conservation requirements of the department and shall continue to implement their current water conservation programs.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   A new section is added to chapter 80.28 RCW to read as follows:
     A water company is not liable for damages as a result of shutting off water to a residential home that has installed a fire sprinkler system, if the shutoff is due to (1) routine maintenance; or (2) the customer's failure to pay.