This bill amends RCW 46.61.655 to add specific duties for vehicle operators and penalties for failing to secure or clean loads. It requires vehicles on public highways to be constructed or loaded to prevent any load from dropping, sifting, leaking, or otherwise escaping; dirt, sand, or gravel loads on paved highways must be covered unless the load maintains six inches of freeboard. Loads and any required coverings must be securely fastened, vehicles with mud, rocks, or other debris must be cleaned before operating on paved public highways, and vehicles to be towed must be cleaned or covered before towing. Operators must immediately clean up glass or other objects that have fallen or escaped and pay cleanup costs. Public maintenance vehicles may drop sand to secure traction or sprinkle water or other substances to clean or maintain a highway. The bill creates new penalty categories based on criminal negligence: failure to secure a load in the first degree is criminal negligence that causes substantial bodily harm and is a gross misdemeanor; failure to secure a load in the second degree is criminal negligence that causes damage to another’s property and is a misdemeanor; failures that do not meet those criteria are infractions. The Washington State Patrol is authorized to adopt rules to implement the section, including applying provisions to specific conditions and prescribing means, methods, and practices. The text provided does not include statutory definitions for terms such as "criminal negligence," "substantial bodily harm," "damage to property," or "paved public highway," nor does it include an effective date, fine amounts, sentencing details, or information about potential interactions with other statutes. The bill was read for the first time on 02/09/26.

If enacted, drivers and vehicle owners will need to make sure loads cannot drop, sift, leak, or otherwise escape while traveling on public highways: dirt, sand, and gravel generally must be covered on paved roads unless the load has at least six inches of freeboard, vehicles with mud or debris must be cleaned before driving or towing, and any glass or objects that fall from a vehicle must be cleaned up immediately by the operator who will pay cleanup costs. The state patrol will write implementation rules, and regular highway maintenance crews are still allowed to drop sand for traction or sprinkle water to clean or maintain roads. The people most affected are commercial and private vehicle operators and towing businesses, which will likely see added time and out-of-pocket costs for covering loads, cleaning vehicles, and paying cleanup when needed, plus exposure to enforcement penalties that range from infractions up to misdemeanors or gross misdemeanors if negligence causes property damage or serious injury. The bill gives the state patrol rulemaking authority but leaves key details unclear here, including the effective date, exact legal definitions, and specific fine amounts or sentencing, which will affect how the requirements are applied and enforced.