S-3614

AN ACT Relating to college mascot license plates; amending RCW 46.16.309, 46.16.313, 46.16.323, and 46.16.335; adding new sections to chapter 46.16 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. 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. 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 under RCW 46.16.313(2), apply to the department for college mascot license plates in the manner under RCW 46.16.309. These 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. 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 plate to the department within ninety days of the effective date of this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) The college mascot license plate account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from RCW 46.16.313(2) shall be deposited into the account. Expenditures from the account may be used only for nonathletic scholarships. Only the president of a participating four-year college or university or the president's designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for expenditures.

(2) Expenditures for nonathletic scholarships may not be used to supplant funds existing or appropriated on the effective date of this act.

Sec. 5. RCW 46.16.309 and 1990 c 250 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

Persons applying to the department for special license plates shall apply on forms obtained from the department and in accordance with RCW 46.16.040. The applicant shall provide all information as is required by the department in order to determine the applicant's eligibility for such special license plates and for administration of RCW 46.16.301 through 46.16.332 and sections 1 through 4 of this act.

Sec. 6. RCW 46.16.313 and 1990 c 250 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Except under subsection (2) of this section, the department may establish a fee for the issuance of each type of special license plate or plates in an amount calculated to offset the cost of production of the special license plate or plates and the administration of this program. The fee shall not exceed thirty-five dollars and is in addition to all other fees required to register and license the vehicle for which the plates have been requested. All such additional special license plate fees collected by the department shall be deposited in the state treasury and credited to the motor vehicle fund.

(2) A fee of fifty dollars is established for the issuance of the college mascot license plate authorized under section 2 of this act. The department shall establish the costs of production and administration of this special plate. All moneys in excess of department costs shall be deposited into the college mascot license plate fund, under section 4 of this act, and shall be credited to the name of the participating four-year college or university.

Sec. 7. RCW 46.16.323 and 1990 c 250 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Any institution of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016 may petition the department to create, design, and issue to that institution a vehicle license plate emblem series that identifies that institution or one of its purposes, programs, projects, or causes. The vehicle license plate emblem issued by the department may display a mascot, slogan, message, or symbol that can be displayed on a vehicle license plate or plates in the manner prescribed by the department. The department has sole discretion in approving or disapproving institutions for participation in the vehicle license plate emblem program. The department also has the sole discretion to determine the significance of the purpose, program, project, or cause and if it merits recognition by issuance of a vehicle license plate emblem.

Application to the department is the exclusive method for an institution to request issuance of a special vehicle license plate emblem series or to obtain such emblems for distribution by approved institutions. All applicants shall apply to the department on a form obtained from the department.

Any approved institution may collect additional fees from any person as a condition for receiving an emblem, to be used for the purposes of the approved institution.

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, four-year colleges' and universities' college mascot license plate programs shall be implemented and administered under sections 1 through 4 of this act.

Sec. 8. RCW 46.16.335 and 1990 c 250 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:

The director shall adopt rules to implement RCW 46.16.301 through 46.16.332, and sections 1 through 4 of this act, including setting of fees.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. The director of licensing shall report to both houses of the legislature by March 1, 1993, on the progress made in implementing and administering the program created under this act and RCW 46.16.323.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. Sections 1 through 4 of this act are each added to chapter 46.16 RCW.