RVIA Government Affairs Senior Manager Nick Rudowich testified Tuesday in the Washington Senate Labor and Commerce Committee to support SB 1514, an amendment that could improve the RV plan approval process in that state.
According to RVIA, Washington is one of two states that regulate RV manufacturing. RV manufacturers must submit a model plan to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries and pay a fee per plan. The department approves or denies each plan. If the model plan is approved, an RV manufacturer buys a Washington RV insignia and attaches it to the vehicle.
Without an insignia, the vehicle cannot be sold to a Washington RV dealer or, subsequently, a Washington state consumer.
From 2021 to 2022 the RV industry experienced delays in RV plan reviews because the Department of Labor and Industries did not have the personnel to process RV plans which disrupted business, RVIA said.
The association has been working to implement an all-electronic plan submission process for RVs and park model RVs with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. The RV industry did not use digital plan submission in the past because the digital plan submission process was more costly to RV manufacturers than physical submission. Due to recent fee changes, digital submission has become the cheaper option.
According to RVIA, Rudowich previously testified at the Feb. 1 public hearing in support of an amendment (Revised Code of Washington 43.22.350) to the Washington RV plan approval process (House Bill 1514) that would make current electronic procedures now in place permanent.
During his testimony, Rudowich said RV manufacturers can purchase insignias on submission of plans to the state. RV manufacturers must have a state approved quality control program and pay the required fees of plan submission to the Department of Labor and Industries.
To assist the RV industry in moving from a physical plan submission to electronic, RVIA will host quarterly webinars in conjunction with the Department of Labor and Industries.
