SENATE BILL REPORT
HB 1514
As Reported by Senate Committee On:
Labor & Commerce, March 20, 2023
Title: An act relating to the purchase and distribution of insignia to manufacturers of recreational vehicles and/or park trailers.
Brief Description: Addressing the purchase and distribution of insignia to manufacturers of recreational vehicles and/or park trailers.
Sponsors: Representatives Robertson, Berry, Schmidt, Ormsby, Doglio, Reed and Fosse.
Brief History: Passed House: 3/4/23, 95-0.
Committee Activity: Labor & Commerce: 3/14/23, 3/20/23 [DP].
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Allows manufacturers of recreational vehicles and park trailers to purchase and distribute required insignia from the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) if the manufacturer has an approved quality control program and submits its model or prototype plans to L&I. 
SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR & COMMERCE
Majority Report: Do pass.
Signed by Senators Keiser, Chair; Conway, Vice Chair; Saldaña, Vice Chair; King, Ranking Member; Braun, MacEwen, Robinson, Schoesler and Stanford.
Staff: Jarrett Sacks (786-7448)
Background:

The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) enforces safety regulations for the manufacturing of recreational vehicles (RVs) and park trailers sold or leased in the state. An RV is a vehicle primarily designed as temporary living quarters for recreational camping, travel, or seasonal use that either has its own motive power or is mounted on or towed by another vehicle. They include camping trailers, fifth-wheel trailers, motor homes, travel trailers, and truck campers. 

 

An RV or park trailer sold or leased in the state must have an insignia issued by L&I. To obtain the appropriate insignia, L&I must approve the manufacturer's design plans and specifications. The manufacturer may submit its plans and specifications to L&I and be subject to L&I's review process. Alternatively, the manufacturer may use a self-certification process, whereby the manufacturer's design plans are reviewed by an L&I-approved licensed professional and the manufacturer has a quality control process approved by L&I. 

 

Once L&I approves a manufacturer's plans and conducts an inspection, and the manufacturer pays the appropriate fees, L&I issues the insignia. Insignia are attached to the finished vehicle before it leaves the manufacturer's location. 
Summary of Bill:

L&I must permit the purchase and distribution of insignia to a manufacturer of RVs and park trailers with an approved quality control program, if the manufacturer submits plans and specifications of a model or production prototype of an RV or park trailer and pays the review fees to L&I. 
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

PRO: L&I had a backlog for issuing insignias the past couple of years, which led to low inventory and customers going out of state to make purchases. This legislation is the product of the industry and L&I doing a process improvement to expedite the process without degrading the protections for consumers. The bill streamlines the process.
Persons Testifying: PRO: Representative Eric Robertson, Prime Sponsor; Nicholas Rudowich, RV Industry Association.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.