SENATE BILL REPORT

                   HB 1457

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

                 Transportation, April 7, 1997

Title:  An act relating to permits and certificates issued by the department of licensing.

Brief Description:  Regulating the issuance and cost of permits and certificates issued by the department of licensing.

Sponsors:  Representatives Chandler, Fisher and Zellinsky; by request of Department of Licensing.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Transportation:  4/3/97, 4/7/97 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

  Signed by Senators Prince, Chair; Benton, Vice Chair; Wood, Vice Chair; Goings, Haugen, Heavey, Horn, Jacobsen, Morton, Oke, Patterson, Rasmussen and Sellar.

Staff:  Jeff Doyle (786-7322)

Background:  In 1990, application fees for annual and temporary permits for off-road vehicles (ORVs), snowmobiles, mopeds, and motorcycles were raised by 25 cents, from $1 to $1.25.  Statutory references to these fees have not been updated.

The Department of Licensing (DOL) currently allows travel trailers and campers to be registered for title purposes only, and annual excise taxes are not imposed on these vehicles.  Existing statutory references are ambiguous and/or contradictory to this practice.

The term Acertificate of license registration@ has been abandoned in favor of Acertificate of ownership.@  There are many places in current statute that have not switched over to this new terminology.

In 1995, legislation was passed that allowed DOL to accept title applications on nonstandard forms, so long as the form contained all pertinent data as required by DOL to issue a title.  This change was not incorporated in all areas of statute.

Currently, there is no process authorized in statute that allows owners to apply for a duplicate certificate of license registration if they have lost the old one.

Prior to DOL=s use of its newer computer system, the department could not process vehicle license renewals any sooner than 45 days prior to the renewal date specified on the license tabs.  DOL=s current computer system, the vehicle field system, will allow renewals up to 18 months prior to the renewal date.  This would allow persons not expecting to be in the state or country during the 45-day renewal period to register their vehicles up to 18 months in advance.  Current statute does not permit this flexibility.

Amateur radio operators may purchase special license plates from DOL, but only for five years.  The Federal Communications Commission now issues radio operator licenses for 10 years, but DOL is not authorized under current statute to allow special plates beyond five years.

The application fee for a duplicate certificate of title or certificate of vehicle registration has been $1.25 since 1990, but the statutory references to this fee were never updated.

Summary of Amended Bill:  All statutory references to application fees are updated to $1.25.  Conflicting language about travel trailers and campers is clarified to ensure that these trailers and campers can register for title purposes only.  References to Acertificate of license registration@ are updated to the current term, Acertificate of ownership.@  DOL is allowed to accept nonstandard title application forms so long as the form contains all data needed by DOL to issue a title.  A process is established in statute for allowing owners to apply for a duplicate certificate of license registration if their original is lost, destroyed or stolen.  Owners are allowed to register their vehicles up to 18 months prior to the renewal date.  DOL may issue special license plates to amateur radio operators for more than five years.

Vehicles owned and operated by the State Parks Department need not be registered, so long as these vehicles are used strictly for maintenance and operations on roads within the state park system.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The amendment clarifies that vehicles owned and operated by the State Parks Department need not be registered, so long as these vehicles are used strictly for maintenance and operations on roads within the state park system.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This bill makes several technical changes in current law.  It updates the RCWs to reflect changes in terminology and fees made back in 1990.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified:  Eric Anderson, Department of Licensing (pro).