READ FIRST TIME 02/25/11.   

     AN ACT Relating to requiring certain vehicles to stop at a weigh station for inspection and weight measurement; adding a new section to chapter 46.44 RCW; and prescribing penalties.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 46.44 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Upon entering the state, any vehicle or combination of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than forty thousand pounds and transporting cattle must immediately stop at a port of entry, which is operated by the Washington state patrol.
     (2) The requirement of subsection (1) of this section does not apply to the operator of a vehicle in possession of a pasture permit or cattle consigned to a public auction or sales yard. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to authorize a vehicle to bypass an open weigh station or port of entry.
     (3) Operation of any vehicle or combination of vehicles in violation of this section is prima facie evidence that the owner of the vehicle or combination of vehicles caused or permitted the vehicle or combination of vehicles to be so operated, and the owner is liable for any penalties imposed under this section.
     (4) The penalty for failure to comply with this section is one thousand dollars. All fines collected under this section must be deposited in the motor vehicle fund established under RCW 46.68.070 to be used for road maintenance purposes in the counties described in subsection (5) of this section.
     (5) The requirements and penalties in this section apply only in a county located east of the crest of the Cascade mountains with a population of at least four hundred fifty thousand and an adjacent county with a population of at least thirteen thousand but less than fifteen thousand.
     (6) The Washington state patrol must provide a one-time written notification of the requirements of this section to affected carriers known to have previously entered the state of Washington in the counties described in subsection (5) of this section. The notification requirement is not a defense for a driver from enforcement action if found in violation of this section. Notification must be provided by August 1, 2011.