| Passed by the House February 8, 2012 Yeas 98 FRANK CHOPP ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate February 27, 2012 Yeas 49 BRAD OWEN ________________________________________ President of the Senate | I, Barbara Baker, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is HOUSE BILL 2274 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. BARBARA BAKER ________________________________________ Chief Clerk | |
| Approved March 7, 2012, 2:16 p.m. CHRISTINE GREGOIRE ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | March 7, 2012 Secretary of State State of Washington |
| State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2012 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/11/12. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
AN ACT Relating to allowing registered tow truck operators to pass the costs of tolls and ferry fares to the impounded vehicle's registered owner; and amending RCW 46.55.035.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 46.55.035 and 2010 c 56 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) No registered tow truck operator may:
(a) Except as authorized under RCW 46.55.037, ask for or receive
any compensation, gratuity, reward, or promise thereof from a person
having control or possession of private property or from an agent of
the person authorized to sign an impound authorization, for or on
account of the impounding of a vehicle;
(b) Be beneficially interested in a contract, agreement, or
understanding that may be made by or between a person having control or
possession of private property and an agent of the person authorized to
sign an impound authorization;
(c) Have a financial, equitable, or ownership interest in a firm,
partnership, association, or corporation whose functions include acting
as an agent or a representative of a property owner for the purpose of
signing impound authorizations;
(d)(((i))) Enter into any contract or agreement or offer any
program that provides an incentive to a person authorized to order a
private impound under RCW 46.55.080 that is related to the
authorization of an impound or a number of impounds.
(((ii))) (i) The incentives prohibited by this section may be
either monetary or nonmonetary things of value, such as gifts or prizes
which are contingent on, or as a reward for the authorization of
impounds.
(((iii))) (ii) Gifts of de minimus value that are given in the
ordinary course of business and are not tied to any specific decision
to authorize an impound or impounds are not prohibited. Permitted
gifts would include promotional items such as pens, calendars, cups,
and other items labeled with the registered tow truck operator's
business information, holiday gifts such as cookies or candy, flowers
for occasions such as illness or death, or the cost of a single meal
for one person when discussing business.
(((iv))) (iii) The provision of the actual physical signs required
by this chapter to be posted on private property and the labor and
materials for placing them is not a violation of this section.
(2) This section does not prohibit the registered tow truck
operator from collecting the costs of towing, storage, tolls or ferry
fares paid, or other services rendered during the course of towing,
removing, impounding, or storing of an impounded vehicle as provided by
RCW 46.55.120.
(3) A violation of this section is a gross misdemeanor.