Revised: August 22, 2023 | Effective: February 15, 2006
Date Policy Request To Pet:
August 22, 2023
Current Policy Title:
20.19 / Driving State Vehicles
Revised Policy Title:
20.19 / Driving State-Owned or Leased Vehicles or State-Operated Vehicles
Last Revised Date Of Policy:
August 8, 2017
Initiating Authority:
The Vice President for Finance and Administration
Summary Of Policy Or Policy Change:
This policy is being revised to ensure consistency with state regulations, to expand
the policy to apply to the use of personal vehicles, to address the complete prohibition
on trailer towing, to create uniformity and remove duplication by combining the present
policy with Policy 20.12 / Usage of Multi-Passenger Vans, and to make general updates
to comply with WSU's standard format and for purposes of clarity.
Specific changes made were:
- Expand the provisions of the policy to also apply to the use of personal vehicles
being operated for official state business.
- Revise the title of the policy to reflect the expanded scope.
- Address conflict with KAR 1-17-2 regarding use of state vehicles by non-employees
and to include and update necessary definitions consistent with state regulations.
- Limit the prohibition of towing to multi-passenger vans and leased vehicles.
- Update to reflect the state regulation that prohibits stickers, decals, and bumper
stickers, and add clarification that University Marks shall not be affixed on a state
vehicle without approval in accordance with WSU Policy 20.11.
- Insert procedure for usage of multi-passenger vans into this policy to eliminate the
need for Policy 20.12 / Usage of Multi-Passenger Vans.
- Update the procedure for the usage of multi-passenger vans to remove the requirement
that van drivers must be "full-time"; to correct that operator training is provided
by Facilities Services rather than the Physical Plant; and to remove 700-mile restriction.
- Update to reflect current University practice for recovering cost of damages from
the department that the state vehicle was leased or assigned to.
- Added administrative procedures for requesting use of a state vehicle and reporting
accidents, consistent with state regulations.
Reason Or Need For Policy / Summary Of Changes Made To Existing Policy:
The current policy restricts the operation of a state vehicle to employees, with the
exception that current students who have permission from their WSU divisional vice
president may also drive for a specific event. This exception conflicts with KAR 1-17-2,
which restricts the operation of state vehicles to officers or employees of the state,
with the exception of approvals by the secretary of administration or the secretary's
designee. WSU does not have the authority to approve exceptions.
Further, the current policy does not address the use of personal vehicles operated
in the scope and course of University employment, so such use was added to the policy
consistent with the state regulations.
In addition, the current policy completely prohibited the towing of trailers behind
all state vehicles, leaving faculty and staff unable to tow trailers at all, even
when the trailer is owned by the University. The revisions have addressed this issue
by permitting towing behind state-owned vehicles, but not behind multi-passenger vans
or leased vehicles.
Applicable Laws Or Regulatory Or Policy Authority:
Other Relevant Policies:
The Following University Stakeholders Were Included In The Review And Approval Of
This Policy Draft / Revision:
- Office of the General Counsel - Stacia Boden
- Facilities Services - Eason Bryer, Executive Director of Facilities Services
- Facilities Services - David Gomez, Director of Facilities Operations
- Facilities Services - Tom Retz, Fleet Manager
- Financial Services - Troy Bruun, Associate Vice President for Financial Services
- Faculty Senate - Jolynn Dowling
- Staff Senate - Denise Gimlin
Other Notes For Consideration:
Because WSU Policy 20.12 / Usage of Multi-Passenger Vans is being combined into the
present policy, Policy 20.12 will also need to be rescinded along with the approval
of the present revisions to Policy 20.19.
Owner Of Policy Request For Questions:
General Counsel Office
