S-3426.1
SENATE BILL 6174
State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session
By Senators J. Wilson, Dozier, Fortunato, and Mullet
Read first time 01/11/24. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
1 AN ACT Relating to coordinating the scheduling of mowing and
2 litter pickup along state highways; amending RCW 70A.200.170; and
3 creating a new section.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
5 NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the scheduling
6 of mowing and litter pickup along state highways should be
7 coordinated to avoid mowing over roadside litter. The legislature
8 finds that mowing over roadside litter spreads litter throughout
9 larger areas of the environment, makes it more difficult to find and
10 properly dispose of litter, and breaks down litter into smaller
11 pieces that become a hazard to wildlife and eventually end up in the
12 soil and water. The legislature determines that coordinating the
13 scheduling of mowing and litter pickup along state highways is a
14 basic step that will help improve Washington's environment.
15 Sec. 2. RCW 70A.200.170 and 2021 c 231 s 1 are each amended to
16 read as follows:
17 (1) The department is the coordinating and administrative agency
18 working with the departments of natural resources, revenue,
19 transportation, and corrections, and the parks and recreation
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 1 commission in developing a biennial budget request for funds for the
2 various agencies' litter collection programs.
3 (2) Funds may be used to meet the needs of efficient and
4 effective litter collection and illegal dumping programs identified
5 by the various agencies. The department shall develop criteria for
6 evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of the waste reduction,
7 litter control, and recycling programs being administered by the
8 various agencies listed in RCW 70A.200.140, and shall distribute
9 funds according to the effectiveness and efficiency of those
10 programs. In addition, the department shall approve funding requests
11 for efficient and effective waste reduction, litter control, and
12 recycling programs, provide funds, and monitor the results of all
13 agency programs.
14 (3) All agencies are responsible for reporting information on
15 their litter collection programs as requested by the department.
16 (4) The department shall contract with the department of
17 transportation to schedule litter prevention messaging and
18 coordination of litter emphasis patrols with the Washington state
19 patrol. Additionally, the department of transportation may coordinate
20 with the department to conduct litter pickup during scheduled
21 maintenance closures as situations allow.
22 (5) To the greatest extent practicable, the department of
23 transportation shall schedule mowing along state highways to occur
24 after litter pickup has been performed in the area to be mowed. This
25 subsection is not intended to prevent mowing or other similar
26 maintenance activities from being undertaken in the event litter
27 pickup has not been performed.
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Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 70A.200.170