AN ACT Relating to college mascot license plates; amending RCW 46.16.590, 46.16.595, and 46.16.600; and adding new sections to chapter 46.16 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 46.16 RCW to read as follows:

College mascot license plates, as used in this chapter, mean license plates that have displayed upon them the mascot or symbol of a state four-year college or university and a combination of letters and numbers assigned by the department.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 46.16 RCW to read as follows:

Any person who is the registered owner of a passenger motor vehicle, a motor truck, a trailer, a camper, a private bus, or a motorcycle registered with the department, excluding proportionally registered vehicles, or who applies for an original registration or renewal registration of such vehicle or camper may, upon payment of the fee prescribed in section 4(3) of this act, apply to the department for college mascot license plates in the manner described in section 4(2) of this act, which plates shall be affixed to the vehicle or camper for which registration is sought in lieu of the regular license plates.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 46.16 RCW to read as follows:

College mascot license plates shall be of a design similar to regular license plates, and shall consist of a depiction of the mascot or symbol of a state four-year college or university and numbers and letters assigned by the department. Each state four-year college or university shall submit a proposed design for its college mascot license license plate to the department within ninety days of the effective date of this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 46.16 RCW to read as follows:

(1) College mascot license plates may be issued only to the registered owner of a vehicle on which they are to be displayed. (2) An applicant for issuance of college mascot license plates or renewal of such plates in the subsequent year pursuant to this chapter shall file an application for the plates in a form and by a date as required by the department. (3) In addition to the regular registration or renewal fee, and any other fees and taxes required to be paid upon registration or renewal, the applicant for college mascot license plates shall pay a fee of fifty dollars. All college mascot license plates must be renewed on an annual basis, regardless of whether a vehicle on which they are displayed will not be driven on public highways or may also be eligible to display permanent license plates valid for the life of such vehicle without annual renewal. College mascot license plates that are not renewed must be surrendered to the department, and failure to do so is a traffic infraction.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 46.16 RCW to read as follows:

(1) State four-year colleges and universities participating in the college mascot license plate program may distribute information and applications for the special plates. The department of licensing shall administer the program and issue the plates to qualified applicants upon payment of the fees prescribed by section 4 of this act. The department shall deduct its administrative and production costs from the fees and deposit the remainder of the funds in the state treasury to the credit of the college or university designated on the plates.

(2) One-half of the money so credited to each college or university each year shall be used for student scholarships. One-half of such scholarships shall be awarded on the basis of financial need, and one-half shall be awarded on the basis of academic achievement, regardless of financial need.

(3) The remainder of the money credited to each college or university each year shall be invested by the state treasurer, and once each year the earnings from such investments shall be transferred to the scholarship fund for the appropriate college or university for award under subsection (2) of this section.

Sec. 6. Section 8, chapter 200, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. as amended by section 5, chapter 59, Laws of 1975 and RCW 46.16.590 are each amended to read as follows:

Whenever any person who has been issued personalized or college mascot license plates applies to the department for transfer of such plates to a subsequently acquired vehicle or camper eligible for personalized or college mascot license plates, a transfer fee of five dollars shall be charged in addition to all other appropriate fees. Such transfer fees shall be deposited in the motor vehicle fund.

Sec. 7. Section 9, chapter 200, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. as last amended by section 52, chapter 136, Laws of 1979 ex. sess. and RCW 46.16.595 are each amended to read as follows:

When any person who has been issued personalized or college mascot license plates sells, trades, or otherwise releases ownership of the vehicle upon which the ((~~personalized~~)) special license plates have been displayed, he shall immediately report the transfer of such plates to an acquired vehicle or camper eligible for personalized or college mascot license plates, pursuant to RCW 46.16.590, or he shall surrender such plates to the department forthwith and release his priority to the letters or numbers, or combination thereof, displayed on the ((~~personalized~~)) special license plates. Failure to surrender such plates is a traffic infraction.

Sec. 8. Section 10, chapter 200, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. as amended by section 143, chapter 158, Laws of 1979 and RCW 46.16.600 are each amended to read as follows:

The director of licensing may ((~~establish~~)) adopt such rules ((~~and regulations~~)) as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of RCW 46.16.560 through 46.16.595 and sections 1 through 5 of this act.