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Bill would add Washington State Ferries to unlawful transit conduct statute
Summary
Senate Bill 5,716 would add Washington State Ferries to the list of transit authorities covered by the misdemeanor unlawful transit conduct statute so ferry passengers who commit specified behaviors could be charged similarly to other transit systems; sponsor said bill addresses rising ridership and unwanted behaviors on ferries.
A companion bill to House Bill 1616, Senate Bill 5,716 would add Washington State Ferries to the statutory definition of a transit authority for the misdemeanor crime of unlawful transit conduct, the House Transportation Committee heard.
Staff explained that unlawful transit conduct is a misdemeanor that can apply to conduct in transit vehicles, stations or facilities operated by a transit authority; the current statutory definition lists city and county public transportation systems, metropolitan municipal corporations and special-purpose districts. The bill would explicitly add the Washington State Ferries system to that definition, making the same misdemeanor enforcement options available on ferries that transit agencies already have on buses and trains.
Sponsor testimony said the change responds to rising ridership, the ferry system’s national scale and reports of problematic passenger behavior. “With increased ridership, we're going to see increased issues on our ferries—people exhibiting behavior that doesn't go well with keeping our employees safe, our vessels safe,” said the sponsor, who framed the bill as a parity measure so ferries can curb “bad behaviors” such as spitting, smoking or defecating outside designated areas.
Staff indicated there was no fiscal note on this bill; the companion bill’s fiscal summary had described an indeterminate impact based on an unknown number of misdemeanors. No votes were recorded on the bill at this hearing.
The committee closed public testimony and returned to other agenda items.
