CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
title
AN ORDINANCE relating to transportation network company drivers; establishing deactivation protections for transportation network company drivers; amending Section 3.15.000 of the Seattle Municipal Code; and adding a new Chapter 14.32 to the Seattle Municipal Code.
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WHEREAS, the Washington Constitution provides in Article XI, Section 11 that "[a]ny county, city, town or township may make and enforce within its limits all such local police, sanitary and other regulations as are not in conflict with general laws"; and
WHEREAS, the state of Washington, in Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 46.72.001, has authorized political subdivisions of the state to regulate for-hire drivers and for-hire transportation services, which terms encompass the regulation of transportation network company (TNC) drivers, TNCs, and TNC services, to ensure safe and reliable TNC services; and
WHEREAS, TNCs provide application dispatch services that allow passengers to directly request the dispatch of drivers via the internet using mobile interfaces such as smartphone applications; and
WHEREAS, in 2018, the two largest TNCs accounted for over 24 million trips in the City; and
WHEREAS, these two companies are also major hiring entities, accounting for most of the 31,676 TNC drivers issued permits by King County in 2018 as recorded by the King County Department of Licensing; and
WHEREAS, the regulation of TNC driver protections better ensures that drivers can perform their services in a safe and reliable manner and thereby promotes the welfare of the people and is thus a fundamental governmental function; and
WHEREAS, the establishment of minimum labor standards for TNC drivers is a subject of vital and imminent concern to the people of this City and requires appropriate action by City Council to establish such minimum labor standards within the City; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS...
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