AN ACT Relating to requiring drivers to stop for approaching other on-track equipment at railroad grade crossings; and amending RCW 46.61.340, 46.61.350, 46.61.355, 36.86.100, 46.25.090, and 47.32.140.

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

Sec. 1.  RCW 46.61.340 and 2000 c 239 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Whenever any person driving a vehicle approaches a railroad grade crossing under any of the circumstances stated in this section, the driver of such vehicle shall stop within fifty feet but not less than fifteen feet from the nearest rail of such railroad, and shall not proceed until the crossing can be made safely. The foregoing requirements shall apply when:

(a) A clearly visible electric or mechanical signal device gives warning of the immediate approach of a railroad train or other on-track equipment;

(b) A crossing gate is lowered or when a human flagger gives or continues to give a signal of the approach or passage of a railroad train or other on-track equipment;

(c) An approaching railroad train or other on-track equipment is plainly visible and is in hazardous proximity to such crossing.

(2) No person shall drive any vehicle through, around or under any crossing gate or barrier at a railroad crossing while such gate or barrier is closed or is being opened or closed.

Sec. 2.  RCW 46.61.350 and 2014 c 154 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1)(a) The driver of any of the following vehicles must stop before the stop line, if present, and otherwise within fifty feet but not less than fifteen feet from the nearest rail at a railroad grade crossing unless exempt under subsection (3) of this section:

(i) A school bus or private carrier bus carrying any school child or other passenger;

(ii) A commercial motor vehicle transporting passengers;

(iii) A cargo tank, whether loaded or empty, used for transporting any hazardous material as defined in the hazardous materials regulations of the United States department of transportation in 49 C.F.R. Parts 107 through 180 as it existed on June 10, 2010, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the state patrol by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section. For the purposes of this section, a cargo tank is any commercial motor vehicle designed to transport any liquid or gaseous materials within a tank that is either permanently or temporarily attached to the vehicle or the chassis;

(iv) A cargo tank, whether loaded or empty, transporting a commodity under exemption in accordance with 49 C.F.R. Part 107, Subpart B as it existed on June 10, 2010, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the state patrol by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section;

(v) A cargo tank transporting a commodity that at the time of loading has a temperature above its flashpoint as determined by the United States department of transportation in 49 C.F.R. Sec. 173.120 as it existed on June 10, 2010, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the state patrol by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section; or

(vi) A commercial motor vehicle that is required to be marked or placarded with any one of the following classifications by the United States department of transportation in 49 C.F.R. Part 172 as it existed on June 10, 2010, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the state patrol by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section:

(A) Division 1.1, Division 1.2, Division 1.3, or Division 1.4;

(B) Division 2.1, Division 2.2, Division 2.2 oxygen, Division 2.3 poison gas, or Division 2.3 chlorine;

(C) Division 4.1 or Division 4.3;

(D) Division 5.1 or Division 5.2;

(E) Division 6.1 poison;

(F) Class 3 combustible liquid or Class 3 flammable;

(G) Class 7;

(H) Class 8.

(b) While stopped, the driver must listen and look in both directions along the track for any approaching train or other on-track equipment and for signals indicating the approach of a train or other on-track equipment. The driver may not proceed until he or she can do so safely.

(2) After stopping at a railroad grade crossing and upon proceeding when it is safe to do so, the driver must cross only in a gear that permits the vehicle to traverse the crossing without changing gears. The driver may not shift gears while crossing the track or tracks.

(3) This section does not apply at any railroad grade crossing where:

(a) Traffic is controlled by a police officer or flagger.

(b) A functioning traffic control signal is transmitting a green light.

(c) The tracks are used exclusively for a streetcar or industrial switching purposes.

(d) The utilities and transportation commission has approved the installation of an "exempt" sign in accordance with the procedures and standards under RCW 81.53.060.

(e) The crossing is abandoned and is marked with a sign indicating it is out-of-service.

(f) The utilities and transportation commission has identified a crossing where stopping is not required under RCW 81.53.060.

(4) For the purpose of this section, "commercial motor vehicle" means: Any vehicle with a manufacturer's seating capacity for eight or more passengers, including the driver, that transports passengers for hire; any private carrier bus; any vehicle used to transport property that has a gross vehicle weight rating, gross combination weight rating, gross vehicle weight, or gross combination weight of 4,536 kg (10,001 pounds) or more; and any vehicle used in the transportation of hazardous materials as defined in RCW 46.25.010.

Sec. 3.  RCW 46.61.355 and 2000 c 239 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) No person shall operate or move any crawler-type tractor, steam shovel, derrick, roller, or any equipment or structure having a normal operating speed of ten or less miles per hour or a vertical body or load clearance of less than one-half inch per foot of the distance between any two adjacent axles or in any event of less than nine inches, measured above the level surface of a roadway, upon or across any tracks at a railroad grade crossing without first complying with this section.

(2) Notice of any such intended crossing shall be given to the station agent of such railroad located nearest the intended crossing sufficiently in advance to allow such railroad a reasonable time to prescribe proper protection for such crossing.

(3) Before making any such crossing, the person operating or moving any such vehicle or equipment shall first stop the same not less than fifteen feet nor more than fifty feet from the nearest rail of such railroad and while so stopped shall listen and look in both directions along such track for any approaching train or other on-track equipment and for signals indicating the approach of a train or other on-track equipment, and shall not proceed until the crossing can be made safely.

(4) No such crossing shall be made when warning is given by automatic signal or crossing gates or a flagger or otherwise of the immediate approach of a railroad train or car or other on-track equipment. If a flagger is provided by the railroad, movement over the crossing shall be under the flagger's direction.

Sec. 4.  RCW 36.86.100 and 1983 c 19 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

Each railroad company shall keep its right-of-way clear of all brush and timber in the vicinity of a railroad grade crossing with a county road for a distance of one hundred feet from the crossing in such a manner as to permit a person upon the road to obtain an unobstructed view in both directions of an approaching train or other on-track equipment. The county legislative authority shall cause brush and timber to be cleared from the right-of-way of county roads in the proximity of a railroad grade crossing for a distance of one hundred feet from the crossing in such a manner as to permit a person traveling upon the road to obtain an unobstructed view in both directions of an approaching train or other on-track equipment. It is unlawful to erect or maintain a sign, signboard, or billboard within a distance of one hundred feet from the point of intersection of the road and railroad grade crossing located outside the corporate limits of any city or town unless, after thirty days notice to the Washington utilities and transportation commission and the railroad operating the crossing, the county legislative authority determines that it does not obscure the sight distance of a person operating a vehicle or train approaching the grade crossing.

When a person who has erected or who maintains such a sign, signboard, or billboard or when a railroad company permits such brush or timber in the vicinity of a railroad grade crossing with a county road or permits the surface of a grade crossing to become inconvenient or dangerous for passage and who has the duty to maintain it, fails, neglects, or refuses to remove or cause to be removed such brush, timber, sign, signboard, or billboard, or maintain the surface of the crossing, the utilities and transportation commission upon complaint of the county legislative authority or upon complaint of any party interested, or upon its own motion, shall enter upon a hearing in the manner now provided for hearings with respect to railroad-highway grade crossings, and make and enforce proper orders for the removal of the brush, timber, sign, signboard or billboard, or maintenance of the crossing. Nothing in this section prevents the posting or maintaining thereon of highway or road signs or traffic devices giving directions or distances for the information of the public when the signs conform to the "Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices" issued by the state department of transportation. The county legislative authority shall inspect highway grade crossings and make complaint of the violation of any provisions of this section.

Sec. 5.  RCW 46.25.090 and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 35 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) A person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for a period of not less than one year if a report has been received by the department pursuant to RCW 46.20.308 or 46.25.120, or if the person has been convicted of a first violation, within this or any other jurisdiction, of:

(a) Driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or any drug;

(b) Driving a commercial motor vehicle while the alcohol concentration in the person's system is 0.04 or more or any measurable amount of THC concentration, or driving a noncommercial motor vehicle while the alcohol concentration in the person's system is 0.08 or more, or is 0.02 or more if the person is under age twenty-one, or with a THC concentration of 5.00 nanograms per milliliter of whole blood or more, or a THC concentration above 0.00 if the person is under the age of twenty-one, as determined by any testing methods approved by law in this state or any other state or jurisdiction;

(c) Leaving the scene of an accident involving a motor vehicle driven by the person;

(d) Using a motor vehicle in the commission of a felony;

(e) Refusing to submit to a test or tests to determine the driver's alcohol concentration or the presence of any drug while driving a motor vehicle;

(f) Driving a commercial motor vehicle when, as a result of prior violations committed while operating a commercial motor vehicle, the driver's commercial driver's license is revoked, suspended, or canceled, or the driver is disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle;

(g) Causing a fatality through the negligent operation of a commercial motor vehicle, including but not limited to the crimes of vehicular homicide and negligent homicide.

If any of the violations set forth in this subsection occurred while transporting hazardous material, the person is disqualified for a period of not less than three years.

(2) A person is disqualified for life if it has been determined that the person has committed or has been convicted of two or more violations of any of the offenses specified in subsection (1) of this section, or any combination of those offenses, arising from two or more separate incidents.

(3) The department may adopt rules, in accordance with federal regulations, establishing guidelines, including conditions, under which a disqualification for life under subsection (2) of this section may be reduced to a period of not less than ten years.

(4) A person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for life who uses a motor vehicle in the commission of a felony involving the manufacture, distribution, or dispensing of a controlled substance, as defined by chapter 69.50 RCW, or possession with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance, as defined by chapter 69.50 RCW.

(5)(a) A person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for a period of:

(i) Not less than sixty days if:

(A) Convicted of or found to have committed a second serious traffic violation while driving a commercial motor vehicle; or

(B) Convicted of reckless driving, where there has been a prior serious traffic violation; or

(ii) Not less than one hundred twenty days if:

(A) Convicted of or found to have committed a third or subsequent serious traffic violation while driving a commercial motor vehicle; or

(B) Convicted of reckless driving, where there has been two or more prior serious traffic violations.

(b) The disqualification period under (a)(ii) of this subsection must be in addition to any other previous period of disqualification.

(c) For purposes of determining prior serious traffic violations under this subsection, each conviction of or finding that a driver has committed a serious traffic violation while driving a commercial motor vehicle or noncommercial motor vehicle, arising from a separate incident occurring within a three-year period, must be counted.

(6) A person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for a period of:

(a) Not less than one hundred eighty days nor more than one year if convicted of or found to have committed a first violation of an out-of-service order while driving a commercial vehicle;

(b) Not less than two years nor more than five years if, during a ten-year period, the person is convicted of or is found to have committed two violations of out-of-service orders while driving a commercial motor vehicle in separate incidents;

(c) Not less than three years nor more than five years if, during a ten-year period, the person is convicted of or is found to have committed three or more violations of out-of-service orders while driving commercial motor vehicles in separate incidents;

(d) Not less than one hundred eighty days nor more than two years if the person is convicted of or is found to have committed a first violation of an out-of-service order while transporting hazardous materials, or while operating motor vehicles designed to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver. A person is disqualified for a period of not less than three years nor more than five years if, during a ten-year period, the person is convicted of or is found to have committed subsequent violations of out-of-service orders, in separate incidents, while transporting hazardous materials, or while operating motor vehicles designed to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver.

(7) A person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle if a report has been received by the department under RCW 46.25.125 that the person has received a verified positive drug test or positive alcohol confirmation test as part of the testing program conducted under 49 C.F.R. 40. A disqualification under this subsection remains in effect until the person undergoes a drug and alcohol assessment by a substance abuse professional meeting the requirements of 49 C.F.R. 40, and the person presents evidence of satisfactory participation in or successful completion of a drug or alcohol treatment and/or education program as recommended by the substance abuse professional, and until the person has met the requirements of RCW 46.25.100. The substance abuse professional shall forward a diagnostic evaluation and treatment recommendation to the department of licensing for use in determining the person's eligibility for driving a commercial motor vehicle. Persons who are disqualified under this subsection more than twice in a five-year period are disqualified for life.

(8)(a) A person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for the period of time specified in (b) of this subsection if he or she is convicted of or is found to have committed one of the following six offenses at a railroad-highway grade crossing while operating a commercial motor vehicle in violation of a federal, state, or local law or regulation:

(i) For drivers who are not required to always stop, failing to slow down and check that the tracks are clear of an approaching train or other on-track equipment;

(ii) For drivers who are not required to always stop, failing to stop before reaching the crossing, if the tracks are not clear;

(iii) For drivers who are always required to stop, failing to stop before driving onto the crossing;

(iv) For all drivers, failing to have sufficient space to drive completely through the crossing without stopping;

(v) For all drivers, failing to obey a traffic control device or the directions of an enforcement officer at the crossing;

(vi) For all drivers, failing to negotiate a crossing because of insufficient undercarriage clearance.

(b) A person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for a period of:

(i) Not less than sixty days if the driver is convicted of or is found to have committed a first violation of a railroad-highway grade crossing violation;

(ii) Not less than one hundred twenty days if the driver is convicted of or is found to have committed a second railroad-highway grade crossing violation in separate incidents within a three-year period;

(iii) Not less than one year if the driver is convicted of or is found to have committed a third or subsequent railroad-highway grade crossing violation in separate incidents within a three-year period.

(9) A person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for not more than one year if a report has been received by the department from the federal motor carrier safety administration that the person's driving has been determined to constitute an imminent hazard as defined by 49 C.F.R. 383.5. A person who is simultaneously disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle under this subsection and under other provisions of this chapter, or under 49 C.F.R. 383.52, shall serve those disqualification periods concurrently.

(10) Within ten days after suspending, revoking, or canceling a commercial driver's license or disqualifying a driver from operating a commercial motor vehicle, the department shall update its records to reflect that action.

Sec. 6.  RCW 47.32.140 and 1983 c 19 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

Each railroad company shall keep its right-of-way clear of all brush and timber in the vicinity of a railroad grade crossing with a state highway for a distance of one hundred feet from the crossing in such manner as to permit a person upon the highway to obtain an unobstructed view in both directions of an approaching train or other on-track equipment. The department shall cause brush and timber to be cleared from the right-of-way of a state highway in the proximity of a railroad grade crossing for a distance of one hundred feet from the crossing in such manner as to permit a person upon the highway to obtain an unobstructed view in both directions of an approaching train or other on-track equipment. It is unlawful to erect or maintain a sign, signboard, or billboard, except official highway signs and traffic devices and railroad warning or operating signs, outside the corporate limits of any city or town within a distance of one hundred feet from the point of intersection of the highway and railroad grade crossing unless, after thirty days notice to the Washington utilities and transportation commission and the railroad operating the crossing, the department determines that it does not obscure the sight distance of a person operating a vehicle or train approaching the grade crossing.

When a person who has erected or who maintains such a sign, signboard, or billboard or when a railroad company permits such brush or timber in the vicinity of a railroad grade crossing with a state highway or permits the surface of a grade crossing to become inconvenient or dangerous for passage and who has the duty to maintain it, fails, neglects, or refuses to remove or cause to be removed such brush, timber, sign, signboard, or billboard, or maintain the surface of the crossing, the utilities and transportation commission upon complaint of the department or upon complaint of any party interested, or upon its own motion, shall enter upon a hearing in the manner now provided for hearings with respect to railroad-highway grade crossings, and make and enforce proper orders for the removal of the brush, timber, sign, signboard or billboard, or maintenance of the crossing. However, nothing in this section prevents the posting or maintaining of any legal notice or sign, signal, or traffic device required or permitted to be posted or maintained, or the placing and maintaining thereon of highway or road signs or traffic devices giving directions or distances for the information of the public when the signs are approved by the department. The department shall inspect highway grade crossings and make complaint of the violation of any provisions of this section.

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