Washington State Statutes - Washington Attorney Directory

(1) Each public transportation benefit area that owns or operates a rail fixed guideway system as defined in RCW 81.104.015 shall submit a system safety and security program plan for that guideway to the state department of transportation by September 1, 1999, or at least three months before beginning operations or instituting revisions to its plan. This plan must describe the public transportation benefit area's procedures for (a) reporting and investigating reportable accidents, unacceptable hazardous conditions, and security breaches, (b) submitting corrective action plans and annual safety and security audit reports, (c) facilitating on-site safety and security reviews by the state department of transportation, and (d) addressing passenger and employee security. The plan must, at a minimum, conform to the standards adopted by the state department of transportation. If required by the department, the public transportation benefit area shall revise its plan to incorporate the department's review comments within sixty days after their receipt, and resubmit its revised plan for review.

     (2) Each public transportation benefit area shall implement and comply with its system safety and security program plan. The public transportation benefit area shall perform internal safety and security audits to evaluate its compliance with the plan, and submit its audit schedule to the department of transportation no later than December 15th each year. The public transportation benefit area shall prepare an annual report for its internal safety and security audits undertaken in the prior year and submit it to the department no later than February 15th. This annual report must include the dates the audits were conducted, the scope of the audit activity, the audit findings and recommendations, the status of any corrective actions taken as a result of the audit activity, and the results of each audit in terms of the adequacy and effectiveness of the plan.

     (3) Each public transportation benefit area shall notify the department of transportation within twenty-four hours of an occurrence of a reportable accident, unacceptable hazardous condition, or security breach. The department may adopt rules further defining a reportable accident, unacceptable hazardous condition, or security breach. The public transportation benefit area shall investigate all reportable accidents, unacceptable hazardous conditions, or security breaches and provide a written investigation report to the department within forty-five calendar days after the reportable accident, unacceptable hazardous condition, or security breach.

     (4) The security section of the safety and security plan required in subsection (1)(d) of this section is exempt from public disclosure under chapter 42.17 RCW. However, the activities and plans as described in subsections (1)(a), (b), and (c), (2), and (3) of this section are not subject to this exemption.

[1999 c 202 § 5.]

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