5700-S2.E

AN ACT Relating to motor vehicle license plates; amending RCW 46.16.270 and 46.16.313; adding a new section to chapter 46.16 RCW; and providing an effective date.

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:

Effective with vehicle registrations due or to become due on January 1, 2000, all vehicle license plates must have a common background except commercial vehicles as defined in RCW 46.32.005, vehicles originally licensed before January 1, 1987, that are currently owned by the original licensee, and vehicles with special plates designated in RCW 46.16.305 (1) and (3).

Sec. 2. RCW 46.16.270 and 1990 c 250 s 32 are each amended to read as follows:

Replacement plates issued after January 1, ((~~1987, will be centennial plates as described in RCW 46.16.650~~)) 2000, must have a common background. The ((~~total~~)) replacement plate fee including the one dollar per plate centennial plate fee shall be deposited in the motor vehicle fund.

Upon the loss, defacement, or destruction of one or both of the vehicle license number plates issued for any vehicle where more than one plate was originally issued or where one or both have become so illegible or in such a condition as to be difficult to distinguish, or upon the owner's option, the owner of the vehicle shall make application for new vehicle license number plates upon a form furnished by the director. The application shall be filed with the director or the director's authorized agent, accompanied by the certificate of license registration of the vehicle and a fee in the amount of three dollars per plate, whereupon the director, or the director's authorized agent, shall issue new vehicle license number plates to the applicant. It shall be accompanied by a fee of two dollars for a new motorcycle license number plate. In the event the director has issued license period tabs or a windshield emblem instead of vehicle license number plates, and upon the loss, defacement, or destruction of the tabs or windshield emblem, application shall be made on a form provided by the director and in the same manner as above described, and shall be accompanied by a fee of one dollar for each pair of tabs or for each windshield emblem, whereupon the director shall issue to the applicant a duplicate pair of tabs, year tabs, and when necessary month tabs or a windshield emblem to replace those lost, defaced, or destroyed. For vehicles owned, rented, or leased by the state of Washington or by any county, city, town, school district, or other political subdivision of the state of Washington or United States government, or owned or leased by the governing body of an Indian tribe as defined in RCW 46.16.020, a fee shall be charged for replacement of a vehicle license number plate only to the extent required by the provisions of RCW 46.16.020, 46.16.061, 46.16.237, and 46.01.140. For vehicles owned, rented, or leased by foreign countries or international bodies to which the United States government is a signatory by treaty, the payment of any fee for the replacement of a vehicle license number plate shall not be required.

Sec. 3. RCW 46.16.313 and 1995 3rd sp.s. c 1 s 103 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) If the requesting party chooses not to set an additional fee as provided in subsection (3) of this section, the department may establish a fee for each type of special license plates issued under RCW 46.16.301((~~(1) (a), (b), or (c)~~)) in an amount calculated to offset the cost of production of the special license 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) ((In addition to all fees and taxes required to be paid upon application, registration, and renewal registration of a motor vehicle, the holder of a collegiate license plate shall pay a fee of thirty dollars. The department shall deduct an amount not to exceed two dollars of each fee collected under this subsection for administration and collection expenses incurred by it. The remaining proceeds, minus the cost of plate production, shall be remitted to the custody of the state treasurer with a proper identifying detailed report. The state treasurer shall credit the funds to the appropriate collegiate license plate fund as provided in RCW 28B.10.890.

(3) In addition to all fees and taxes required to be paid upon application, registration, and renewal registration of a motor vehicle, the holder of a special baseball stadium license plate shall pay a fee of thirty dollars. The department shall deduct an amount not to exceed two dollars of each fee collected under this subsection for administration and collection expenses incurred by it. The remaining proceeds, minus the cost of plate production, shall be distributed to a county for the purpose of paying the principal and interest payments on bonds issued by the county to construct a baseball stadium, as defined in RCW 82.14.0485, including reasonably necessary preconstruction costs, while the taxes are being collected under RCW 82.14.360. After this date, the state treasurer shall credit the funds to the state general fund.)) The department shall estimate its costs, both direct and indirect, to create, design, and procure the first minimum order for materials and production of special license plates authorized under RCW 46.16.301. The requesting party shall pay the department the estimated costs associated with the first minimum order and maintenance of a minimum inventory for additional sales upon the department authorizing the special license plate series. Payments from the requesting parties shall be deposited in a dedicated special license plate account within the motor vehicle fund. Payments deposited in the dedicated special license plate account are earmarked for production of the requested license plate series and are to be returned to the department's current biennium operating budget. The department shall develop a form to facilitate the presale of special license plates by requesting parties.

(3) The department may collect, in addition to all fees and taxes required to be paid upon application, registration, and renewal registration of a motor vehicle, an additional fee from the holder of a special license plate. The additional fee will be set by the party requesting issuance of the special license plate series. If the requesting party chooses not to set an additional fee, the fee authorized in subsection (1) of this section applies. The state treasurer, upon request of the department, may create accounts for deposit of the additional fees. The department shall remit the additional fees to the state treasurer with a proper identifying report. The state treasurer shall credit the funds to the appropriate account and remit the proceeds to the requesting party on a quarterly basis. No appropriations are required for expenditures from the accounts created under this subsection.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. Section 3 of this act takes effect January 1, 1997, but the department of licensing and the state treasurer shall take all steps necessary before that date in order that this act may be fully implemented upon that date.