wa-law.org > bill > 2023-24 > SB 5909 > Original Bill
The legislature finds that:
Accelerated adoption of electric vehicles in Washington, as intended by state policies, has required registered tow truck operators to expeditiously address novel issues specific to the towing, transport, and storage of electric vehicles;
Traditional methods of towing gas-powered motor vehicles that leave a vehicle's wheels on the road can be ineffective and damaging to electric vehicles. Such methods generate unused electric vehicle battery power, which can lead to damage to both the electric vehicle battery and the motor. To prevent this damage the recommended method of towing an electric vehicle is on a flatbed truck, which can be more expensive and are often less maneuverable than wheel lift trucks;
The dangers related to electric vehicle battery combustion have further rendered traditional methods of vehicle storage inadequate. The potential for reignition, sometimes up to weeks after the initial recovery, and the nature of battery fires as compared to typical vehicle fires calls for registered tow truck operators to implement mitigation and prevention efforts on a scale that operators have not previously been required to address; and
Damage from electric vehicle fires poses a hazard to the health and safety of citizens, business owners, and the environment. Proper towing, transport, and storage of electric vehicles is essential to reduce these impacts.
Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature with this act to provide adequate support necessary to ensure registered tow truck operators are sufficiently prepared for the influx of electric vehicles as promoted by state policies and to protect the health and safety of our state's citizens and the environment.
A registered tow truck operator may apply to the department on a form prescribed by the department for cost reimbursement for the towing, transport, and storage of electric vehicles from public or private property.
The department may only use funds as authorized under RCW 82.44.200 for cost reimbursement for the towing, transport, and storage of electric vehicles. The department may not authorize reimbursements that total more than $10,000 per vehicle for which cost reimbursements are requested.
The department may adopt rules including, but not limited to, application form and contents, and cost reimbursement and the reimbursement process, to implement this section.
For the purposes of this section, "electric vehicle" means any passenger car, light duty truck, and medium duty passenger vehicle that:
Is exclusively powered by a clean alternative fuel as defined in RCW 82.08.9999(5); or
Uses at least one method of propulsion that is capable of being reenergized by an external source of electricity and is capable of traveling at least 30 miles using only battery power.
The electric vehicle account is created in the transportation infrastructure account. Proceeds from the principal and interest payments made on loans from the account must be deposited into the account. Expenditures from the account may be used only for the purposes specified in RCW 47.04.350, 82.08.9999, and 82.12.9999, section 2 of this act, and the support of other transportation electrification and alternative fuel related purposes, including RCW 47.01.520. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. During the 2021-2023 and 2023-2025 fiscal biennia, the legislature may direct the state treasurer to make transfers of moneys in the electric vehicle account to the move ahead WA flexible account and multimodal transportation account.
The department of commerce must establish a program to award grants to registered tow truck operators for the purpose of retrofitting storage facilities to provide for additional facility protections to accommodate electric vehicles including, but not limited to, the installation of containment bays constructed of concrete ecology blocks, or other storage facilities approved or recommended by the national highway traffic safety administration.
This section expires July 1, 2027.