S-4221               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6492

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Senators McCaslin, Warnke, Zimmerman, Bluechel, Saling, Conner, Lee, Smitherman, Garrett and Madsen

Read first time 1/22/88 and referred to Committee on Economic Development & Labor.

AN ACT Relating to mobile homes, commercial coaches, recreational vehicles, and factory built housing and commercial structures; amending RCW 43.22.480; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that Washington manufactured housing industries pay for their own inspection costs through inspection fees.  Such inspection fees should only be used for purposes related to that industry, including education and training, and to the extent that such inspection fees exceed the costs incurred for other industry-related purposes they are unfair.

          Consistent with the need to preserve and promote Washington industries, and to eliminate unfair practices which adversely impact Washington industries, a dedicated fund is created by this act for manufactured housing inspection fees to eliminate this existing unfair practice.

        Sec. 2.  Section 7, chapter 44, Laws of 1970 ex. sess. as last amended by section 2, chapter 76, Laws of 1979 ex. sess. and RCW 43.22.480 are each amended to read as follows:

          The department shall prescribe and enforce rules and regulations which protect the health, safety, and property of the people of this state by assuring that all factory built housing or factory built commercial structures are structurally sound and that the plumbing, heating, electrical, and other components thereof are reasonably safe.  Such rules and regulations shall be reasonably consistent with recognized and accepted principles of safety and structural soundness and in promulgating such rules and regulations the department shall consider, so far as practicable the standards and specifications contained in((:  The uniform building code (1976), published by the international conference of building officials; the uniform plumbing code  (1976), published by the international association of plumbing and mechanical officials; the uniform mechanical code (1976), published by the international conference of building officials and the international association of plumbing and mechanical officials; and the national electrical code (1975), published by the national fire protection association)) the following codes as adopted by rule by the state building code council, except where such codes conflict with other state law:  The uniform energy code, the uniform building code, the uniform plumbing code, and the uniform mechanical code.  Electrical equipment, installations, and systems in or on factory built housing and commercial structures shall comply with the national electrical code as amended by chapter 19.28 RCW and the rules adopted under that chapter.  Updated issues of these codes and amendments to such codes shall be considered by the department.

          The department shall set a schedule of fees which will cover the costs incurred by the department in the administration and enforcement of RCW 43.22.450 through 43.22.490.

The factory-assembled structures and recreational vehicle account is hereby established in the custody of the state treasurer.  The department shall deposit in the account all money received from inspections and insignia fees for mobile homes, commercial coaches, recreational vehicles, and factory built housing and commercial structures.  Money in the account shall be used only for costs incurred by the department in the administration and enforcement of RCW 43.22 340 through 43.22.490, except that up to twenty-five percent of the money in the account may be used, after approval by the director of labor and industries, for mobile or manufactured housing industry training or education recommended by the factory assembled structures advisory board.  Disbursements from the account shall be on authorization of the director of labor and industries or the director's designee.  The account is subject to the allotment procedure provided under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for disbursements.