H-2375.2

HOUSE BILL 2340

State of Washington
68th Legislature
2024 Regular Session
ByRepresentatives Harris, Shavers, Walen, Chambers, Leavitt, Nance, and Timmons
Read first time 01/12/24.Referred to Committee on Transportation.
AN ACT Relating to reducing department of licensing fees for Washington residents who have served in the military; amending RCW 46.20.202 and 41.04.007.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 46.20.202 and 2022 c 182 s 205 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) The department may enter into a memorandum of understanding with any federal agency for the purposes of facilitating the crossing of the border between the state of Washington and the Canadian province of British Columbia.
(2) The department may enter into an agreement with the Canadian province of British Columbia for the purposes of implementing a border-crossing initiative.
(3)(a) The department may issue an enhanced driver's license or identicard for the purposes of crossing the border between the state of Washington and the Canadian province of British Columbia to an applicant who provides the department with proof of: United States citizenship, identity, and state residency. The department shall continue to offer a standard driver's license and identicard. If the department chooses to issue an enhanced driver's license, the department must allow each applicant to choose between a standard driver's license or identicard, or an enhanced driver's license or identicard.
(b) The department shall implement a one-to-many biometric matching system for the enhanced driver's license or identicard. An applicant for an enhanced driver's license or identicard shall submit a biometric identifier as designated by the department. The biometric identifier must be used solely for the purpose of verifying the identity of the holders and for any purpose set out in RCW 46.20.037. Applicants are required to sign a declaration acknowledging their understanding of the one-to-many biometric match.
(c) The enhanced driver's license or identicard must include reasonable security measures to protect the privacy of Washington state residents, including reasonable safeguards to protect against unauthorized disclosure of data about Washington state residents. If the enhanced driver's license or identicard includes a radio frequency identification chip, or similar technology, the department shall ensure that the technology is encrypted or otherwise secure from unauthorized data access.
(d) The requirements of this subsection are in addition to the requirements otherwise imposed on applicants for a driver's license or identicard. The department shall adopt such rules as necessary to meet the requirements of this subsection. From time to time the department shall review technological innovations related to the security of identity cards and amend the rules related to enhanced driver's licenses and identicards as the director deems consistent with this section and appropriate to protect the privacy of Washington state residents.
(e) Notwithstanding RCW 46.20.118, the department may make images associated with enhanced drivers' licenses or identicards from the negative file available to United States customs and border agents for the purposes of verifying identity.
(4) ((Beginning October 1, 2022))(a) Except as provided for in (b) of this subsection, the fee for an enhanced driver's license or enhanced identicard is $56, which is in addition to the fees for any regular driver's license or identicard. If the enhanced driver's license or enhanced identicard is issued, renewed, or extended for a period other than eight years, the fee for each class is $7 for each year that the enhanced driver's license or enhanced identicard is issued, renewed, or extended.
(b) An enhanced driver's license or enhanced identicard issued, renewed, or extended by a service member as defined in RCW 46.20.027 or a veteran as defined in RCW 41.04.007 are only to be charged the fee amount for a regular driver's license or identicard, or renewal, or extension.
(5)(a) The first $4 per year of issuance, to a maximum of $32 of the enhanced driver's license and enhanced identicard fee under this section must be deposited into the highway safety fund unless prior to July 1, 2023, the actions described in (a)(i) or (ii) of this subsection occur, in which case the portion of the revenue that is the result of the fee increased in section 209, chapter 44, Laws of 2015 3rd sp. sess. must be distributed to the connecting Washington account created under RCW 46.68.395.
(i) Any state agency files a notice of rule making under chapter 34.05 RCW, absent explicit legislative authorization enacted subsequent to July 1, 2015, for a rule regarding a fuel standard based upon or defined by the carbon intensity of fuel, including a low carbon fuel standard or clean fuel standard.
(ii) Any state agency otherwise enacts, adopts, orders, or in any way implements a fuel standard based upon or defined by the carbon intensity of fuel, including a low carbon fuel standard or clean fuel standard, without explicit legislative authorization enacted subsequent to July 1, 2015.
(iii) Nothing in this subsection acknowledges, establishes, or creates legal authority for the department of ecology or any other state agency to enact, adopt, order, or in any way implement a fuel standard based upon or defined by the carbon intensity of fuel, including a low carbon fuel standard or clean fuel standard.
(b) $24 of the enhanced driver's license and enhanced identicard fee under this section must be deposited into the move ahead WA flexible account created in RCW 46.68.520. If the enhanced driver's license or enhanced identicard is issued, renewed, or extended for a period other than eight years, the amount deposited into the move ahead WA flexible account created in RCW 46.68.520 is $3 for each year that the enhanced driver's license or enhanced identicard is issued, renewed, or extended.
Sec. 2. RCW 41.04.007 and 2017 c 97 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
"Veteran" includes every person who, at the time he or she seeks the benefits of RCW 46.18.212, 46.18.235, 46.20.202, 72.36.030, 41.04.010, 73.04.090, or 43.180.250, has received an honorable discharge, received a discharge for medical reasons with an honorable record, where applicable, or is in receipt of a United States department of defense discharge document DD form 214, NGB form 22, or their equivalent or successor discharge paperwork, that characterizes his or her service as honorable, and who has served in at least one of the following capacities:
(1) As a member in any branch of the armed forces of the United States, including the national guard and armed forces reserves, and has fulfilled his or her initial military service obligation;
(2) As a member of the women's air forces service pilots;
(3) As a member of the armed forces reserves, national guard, or coast guard, and has been called into federal service by a presidential select reserve call up for at least ((one hundred eighty))180 cumulative days;
(4) As a civil service crewmember with service aboard a U.S. army transport service or U.S. naval transportation service vessel in oceangoing service from December 7, 1941, through December 31, 1946;
(5) As a member of the Philippine armed forces/scouts during the period of armed conflict from December 7, 1941, through August 15, 1945; or
(6) A United States documented merchant mariner with service aboard an oceangoing vessel operated by the department of defense, or its agents, from both June 25, 1950, through July 27, 1953, in Korean territorial waters and from August 5, 1964, through May 7, 1975, in Vietnam territorial waters, and who received a military commendation.
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