On March 25, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill (WA HB 2242) into law that solves an RV length issue in Washington. The new law allows travel trailers up to 46 feet in length and will go into effect on June 11.
“This is a great victory for the RV industry and we are grateful for everyone in the Washington legislature that worked with us to prevent any negative implications for the RV industry and RV dealers in the state had we not been able to get this bill passed,” said RV Industry Association Manager of State Affairs Nick Rudowich. “The bill goes into effect in early summer, but thanks to our work with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, RV trailers up to 45 feet will continue to be approved in the meantime.”
Although the bill had received broad and bipartisan support since introduction, it was placed in the “x” files of the Senate Rules Committee earlier this month, all but assuring the bill would not progress further this legislative session, according to RVIA.
However, through the work of RVIA, in-state Washington RV dealers, RVIA’s lobbyist and its champions in the Washington State Legislature, the bill was resurrected and passed with an overwhelming 47-1 vote in the state Senate.
This bill will fix an issue that began last summer when Washington state decided to stop approving plans for travel trailers more than 40 feet in length, despite the fact that travel trailers more than 40-feet long had been produced, sold, and registered in the state for decades.