HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 2085

As Reported by House Committee On:

Transportation

Title: An act relating to creating Mount St. Helens special license plates.

Brief Description: Creating Mount St. Helens special license plates.

Sponsors: Representatives Orcutt and Blake.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Transportation: 2/28/19 [DP].

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 30 members: Representatives Fey, Chair; Slatter, 2nd Vice Chair; Valdez, 2nd Vice Chair; Wylie, 1st Vice Chair; Barkis, Ranking Minority Member; Walsh, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Young, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Boehnke, Chambers, Chapman, Dent, Doglio, Dufault, Entenman, Eslick, Goehner, Gregerson, Irwin, Kloba, Lovick, McCaslin, Mead, Orcutt, Ortiz-Self, Pellicciotti, Ramos, Riccelli, Shea, Shewmake and Van Werven.

Staff: Patricia Hasan (786-7292).

Background:

The Department of Licensing (DOL) issues special vehicle license plates that may be used in lieu of standard plates. An organization seeking to sponsor a special license plate must be a nonprofit organization, a professional sports franchise working in conjunction with a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The sponsoring organization may choose one of two ways of creating a special license plate.

Application Process and Legislation. In this method, a sponsoring organization submits an application to the DOL prior to pursuing legislation. The application packet must include the design of the special license plate, proof of 3,500 signatures in support of the special license plate, and the start-up fee of $6,300. After the DOL approves the application, the sponsoring organization must pursue legislation to create the special license plate.

Legislation Without the Department of Licensing's Review. In this method, a sponsoring organization pursues legislation without applying to the DOL first. Once the bill is enacted, the sponsoring organization must provide the design of the special license plate and the start-up fee of $6,300 to the DOL within 30 days.

In both methods, if the sponsoring organization can prove that they are unable to provide the start-up fee up front, then revenues from the sale of the special license plate will be used to pay this fee. On an annual basis, the sponsoring organization must submit a financial report to the DOL detailing actual revenues from the sale of the special license plate. The DOL compiles these reports and presents them to the transportation committees of the Legislature.

The DOL collects special license plate fees and, for administrative expenses, deducts an amount not to exceed $12 for new plate issuance and $2 for renewal. After these expenses are paid, the State Treasurer deposits the proceeds into the Motor Vehicle Account until the DOL determines that the start-up fee for a special license plate is paid. Once the start-up fee is paid, the State Treasurer credits the remaining special license plate fee amounts into an account specified for the sponsoring organization.

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Summary of Bill:

The Mount St. Helens special license plate is created with the purpose of providing funds to the Mount St. Helens Institute to promote education, stewardship, and science at Mount St. Helens. In addition to all fees and taxes required to be paid upon application for a vehicle registration, a fee of $40 is charged for the original issuance of a Mount St. Helens special license plate, and a $30 fee is charged for the renewal of the plate.

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Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect on October 1, 2019.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) Mount St. Helens is a mountain of statewide significance; everybody who lived in Washington at the time of its eruption on May 18, 1980, felt the effects. A lot of people to the south, north, and east of the mountain were negatively effected or even lost their lives.

Some unique things have happened since Mount St. Helens erupted. The area around the mountain was designated as a National Monument, not as a National Park or a National Forest. The land designated as the National Monument was patchworked together from federal lands, state lands, and private lands. The designation allows for studies and research to be conducted at the site, which focuses on the scientific impacts following a volcanic eruption, such as how nature regenerates itself. Mount St. Helens is a beautiful place with enormous power to engage people in the outdoors, earth science, and public lands. It encourages the consideration of disaster preparedness, which is important to the state, and in general fosters curiosity and critical thinking. The learning and economic development opportunities of Mount St. Helens are nearly endless.

The Mount St. Helens Institute provides educational programs and helps people understand the natural dynamics of the environment. This special license plate would fund these types of programs, encourage tourism to the area, and help people be more aware of the natural environment. The funding would allow the Mount St. Helens Institute to inspire thousands more youth through day activities and overnight experiences such as volcano outdoors school, trail work, and new exhibits at the visitor's center, with the intention of creating the next generation of natural resource professionals, earth scientists, and curious people.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Representative Orcutt, prime sponsor; and Raymond P. Yurkewycz, Mount St. Helens Institute.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.