1. (1) The department shall develop and maintain a vessel maintenance and preservation program that meets or exceeds all federal requirements and, at a minimum:

   1. (a) Includes a bilge and void maintenance program;
   2. (b) Includes a visual inspection/audio gauging steel preservation program; and
   3. (c) Uses a lowest life-cycle cost method.

2. (2) The vessel maintenance and preservation program must maximize cost efficiency by, at a minimum:

   1. (a) Reducing planned out-of-service time to the greatest extent possible; and
   2. (b) Striving to eliminate planned peak season out-of-service periods.
3. (3) When construction is underway for the replacement of a vessel, the vessel that is scheduled for retirement is exempt from the requirement in subsection (1)(c) of this section.

4. (4) The department shall include a plain language status report on the maintenance and preservation vessel program with each budget submittal to the office of financial management. This report must include, at a minimum:

   1. (a) A description of the maintenance and preservation of each vessel in the fleet;
   2. (b) A highlight and explanation of any significant deviation from the norm;
   3. (c) A highlight and explanation of any significant deviation from the vessel preservation plan required under RCW 47.60.375;
   4. (d) A highlight and explanation of decisions not to invest in vessels; and
   5. (e) A highlight and explanation of decisions to invest early in vessels.

[ 2008 c 124 s 5.]