Subject of Possible Rule Making: Rules relating to household goods carriers, chapter 480-15 WAC will be reviewed. The inquiry will include gathering factual information regarding the effect of these rules on household goods moving companies and their customers. The commission will evaluate the information it receives to determine if changes, additions, or deletions are appropriate to ensure that rules are effective in serving their intended purpose.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 80.01.040, 81.80.130, 81.80.140.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Commission staff state that certain rules have generated questions leading staff to believe that the rules may be unclear, incomplete, or have unintended consequences. Additionally, several household goods moving companies and representatives of the household goods moving industry continue to express concern that certain rules harming consumers and the household goods moving industry. This inquiry is to identify unclear or incomplete sections of rules and to gather factual information from companies and customers documenting whether harm is resulting from these rules, to hear any other concerns about these rules and their operation, and to determine if changes, additions, or deletions might be appropriate.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: None.

Process for Developing New Rule: Agency study; and the commission will ask for initial written comments, and will provide the opportunity for additional comments. The commission has scheduled a workshop on December 9, 1999, and may hold more workshops with representatives of affected constituencies in a manner designed to develop shared understanding among affected interests regarding any problems with existing rules. If problems are found solutions will be sought.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting the Secretary, Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, P.O. Box 47250, Olympia, WA 98504-7250, (360) 664-1174, fax (360) 586-1150. Such persons may submit comments, as specified below, or may ask to be included in the commission's list of interested persons for the proceeding.

Written comments: Written comments in response to the CR-101 from persons interested in the subject matter of this proposed rule making may be filed with the commission secretary, referencing Docket No. TV-991559, not later than November 29, 1999. All commenters are asked, but not required, to file an original and ten copies of their written comments. The commission also requests, but does not require, that comments be provided on a 3 1/2 inch IBM formatted high-density disk, in WordPerfect version 5.1 or later, labeled with the docket number of this proceeding and the commenter's name and type of software used. The commission may offer additional opportunities to provide written comments. Interested persons may file additional written comments in response to any such invitation. Interested persons may also attend and participate in the workshop described below and in any other workshop that may be scheduled. The commission will provide written notice of any additional preproposal workshops to all commenters and to any other persons specifically asking to receive notice in this rule-making proceeding.

Notice of Workshop: A workshop will be held on December 9, 1999, beginning at 9:30 a.m., in the Commission's Hearing Room, Second Floor, Chandler Plaza, 1300 South Evergreen Park Drive S.W., Olympia, WA. Questions may be addressed to Bonnie L. Allen at (360) 664-1226 or e-mail at ballen@wutc.wa.gov.

October 28, 1999

Carole J. Washburn

Secretary

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