SENATE BILL REPORT

                            SB 5410

                    AS OF FEBRUARY 9, 1993

Brief Description:  Making housekeeping changes in various service programs of the department of licensing.

SPONSORS: Senators Skratek, Prince, Prentice, Roach, Drew, Sheldon and Nelson; by request of Department of Licensing

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Staff:  Brad Lovaas (786-7307)

Hearing Dates: February 9, 1993

BACKGROUND:

The Department of Licensing (DOL) Vehicle Services Division is comprised of title and registration services, dealer services and fuel tax services.  This legislation proposes changes in several of the programs administered by vehicle services.  The programs that are affected by the proposed changes are passenger vehicle titling and registration, vehicle dealer licensing, and the licensing of commercial motor vehicles. 

Motor vehicle certificates of ownership are currently issued in paper form. 

Current law provides that a person may make a claim for a refund for overpayment of the vehicle license fee or motor vehicle excise tax. 

SUMMARY:

Title and Registration Services:  Certificates of title are to be transmitted in electronic form when appropriate.

The period of time in which a claim for refund may be made is extended from 13 months to 36 months.  This would bring the refund period for a license fee into conformance with the current refund period for the excise tax.

Dealer Services:  The period in which the Department of Licensing (DOL) must inspect a vehicle dealer at least once is extended from 32 to 36 months.

Language is deleted that required DOL to license vehicle salespersons.  The licensing of vehicle salespersons was discontinued in 1986.

Language is updated to bring the gross misdemeanor penalty for unlicensed dealer activity into conformance with other gross misdemeanor penalties in statute.

Two sections of statute are recodified from the titling statutes to the vehicle dealer statutes.

Fuel Tax Services:  Staggering of renewal dates for proportioned motor vehicles and commercial trucks based in Washington under the International Registration Plan is authorized. 

The interest rate on delinquent taxes is changed from 12 percent per annum to 1 percent per month to bring this section of law into conformance with other tax laws.

A section dealing with dealer penalties is repealed.  A section addressing quarterly payment of proportional registration licensing fees is also repealed.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested