HOUSE BILL REPORT
ESB 5937
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent. |
As Reported by House Committee On:
Transportation
Title: An act relating to the color of stop lamps on vehicles.
Brief Description: Clarifying the required color of certain lamps on vehicles.
Sponsors: Senators Lovelett, Nguyen, Fortunato, Das, Billig and Hunt; by request of Washington State Patrol.
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Transportation: 3/18/19, 3/20/19 [DPA].
Brief Summary of Engrossed Bill (As Amended by Committee) |
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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION |
Majority Report: Do pass as amended. Signed by 29 members: Representatives Fey, Chair; Slatter, 2nd Vice Chair; Valdez, 2nd Vice Chair; Wylie, 1st Vice Chair; Barkis, Ranking Minority Member; Walsh, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Boehnke, Chambers, Chapman, Dent, Doglio, Dufault, Eslick, Goehner, Gregerson, Irwin, Kloba, Lovick, McCaslin, Mead, Orcutt, Ortiz-Self, Paul, Pellicciotti, Ramos, Riccelli, Shea, Shewmake and Van Werven.
Staff: Beth Redfield (786-7140).
Background:
Current state vehicle lighting laws require lighting devices on the rear of any vehicle to display a red color, with exceptions for stop lamps or other signal devices, which may be red, amber, or yellow. Specific requirements allow stop lamps on the rear of a vehicle to display a red or amber light, or any shade of color between red and amber.
Federal motor carrier safety laws allow rear signal devices on commercial motor vehicles to display either a red or amber color and require rear stop lamps to display a red color.
Washington receives over $6 million annually from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to implement motor carrier safety programs.
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Summary of Amended Bill:
For commercial motor vehicles, stop lamps must be red and other rear signal devices must be red or amber.
Amended Bill Compared to Engrossed Bill:
The amended bill replaces the commercial motor vehicle definition with the definition used in the vehicle inspection laws.
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Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date of Amended Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:
(In support) The Senate wanted to narrow the bill a little bit and not have it apply to all vehicles but just to commercial vehicles. That is the requirement from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, so the Washington State Patrol (WSP) is totally fine with applying the change just to commercial vehicles. Passing this bill allows the WSP to keep the $6 million annual payment from the federal government, which pays for about 57 full-time employees in the WSP's Commercial Vehicle Division.
(Opposed) None.
Persons Testifying: Monica Alexander, Washington State Patrol.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.