Z-0644.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1341

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1995 Regular Session

By Representatives Fuhrman, Buck, Sehlin, Carrell, Romero, Ogden, Regala, Jacobsen and Basich; by request of Parks and Recreation Commission

Read first time 01/23/95.  Referred to Committee on Natural Resources.

Changing watercraft excise tax provisions.

    AN ACT Relating to watercraft excise tax; amending RCW 82.49.030 and 88.12.375; adding a new section to chapter 88.12 RCW; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 82.49.030 and 1991 sp.s. c 16 s 925 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) The excise tax imposed under this chapter is due and payable to the department of licensing or its agents at the time of registration of a vessel.  The department of licensing shall not issue or renew a registration for a vessel until the tax is paid in full.

    (2) The excise tax collected under this chapter shall be deposited in the general fund.

    (3) For the ((1993‑95)) 1995-97 and succeeding fiscal ((biennium)) biennia, the watercraft excise tax revenues exceeding ((five)) eight million dollars in each fiscal year, but not exceeding ((six)) nine million dollars, ((may, subject to appropriation by the legislature,)) shall be used for the purposes specified in RCW ((88.12.450)) 88.12.375 and deposited in the clean and safe boating account created in section 3 of this act.

    Sec. 2.  RCW 88.12.375 and 1993 c 244 s 37 are each amended to read as follows:

    The amounts allocated in accordance with RCW 82.49.030(3) shall be expended ((upon appropriation)) in accordance with the following limitations:

    (1) ((Thirty)) Ten percent of the funds shall be ((appropriated to the interagency committee for outdoor recreation and be)) expended ((for use by state and local government for public recreational waterway boater access and boater destination sites.  Priority shall be given to critical site acquisition.  The interagency committee for outdoor recreation shall administer such funds as a competitive grants program.  The amounts provided for in this subsection shall be evenly divided between state and local governments)) by the commission for providing navigational aids, buoys, and signs and to support a state-wide program of uniform waterway marking as provided for in RCW 88.12.285.

    (2) Thirty percent of the funds shall be expended by the commission exclusively for sewage pumpout or dump units at publicly and privately owned marinas as provided for in RCW 88.12.315 and 88.12.325.

    (3) ((Twenty-five)) Thirty percent of the funds shall be expended for grants to state agencies and other public entities to enforce boating safety and registration laws and to carry out boating safety programs.  The commission shall administer such grant program.

    (4) ((Fifteen)) Thirty percent shall be expended for instructional materials, programs or grants to the public school system, public entities, or other nonprofit community organizations to support boating  safety ((and)), boater environmental education ((or)), and boat waste management planning.  The commission shall administer this program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 88.12 RCW to read as follows:

    The clean and safe boating account is created in the custody of the state treasurer.  Receipts as provided in RCW 82.49.030(3) shall be deposited into the account.  Expenditures from the account may be made only after appropriation by the legislature and used only for purposes specified in RCW 88.12.375.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect June 1, 1995.

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