S‑0649.1   _____________________________________________

 

SENATE BILL 5431

 

           _____________________________________________

 

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

 

By Senators Prentice, Horn, Haugen, Oke, T. Sheldon, Eide, Shin and B. Sheldon

 

Read first time 01/23/2001.  Referred to Committee on Transportation.

_1      AN ACT Relating to subagent service and registration fees; and

_2  amending RCW 46.01.140.

     

_3  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

     

_4      Sec. 1.  RCW 46.01.140 and 1996 c 315 s 1 are each amended to read

_5  as follows:

_6      (1) The county auditor, if appointed by the director of

_7  licensing shall carry out the provisions of this title relating to

_8  the licensing of vehicles and the issuance of vehicle license

_9  number plates under the direction and supervision of the director

10  and may with the approval of the director appoint assistants as

11  special deputies and recommend subagents to accept applications

12  and collect fees for vehicle licenses and transfers and to deliver

13  vehicle license number plates.

14      (2) A county auditor appointed by the director may request that

15  the director appoint subagencies within the county.  Upon

16  authorization of the director, the auditor shall advertise a

17  request for proposals and use the process for soliciting vendors

18  under RCW 39.04.190(2), except that the provision requiring the

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_1  contract to be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder shall not

_2  apply.  The auditor shall submit all proposals to the director, and

_3  shall recommend the appointment of one or more subagents who have

_4  applied through the request for proposal process.  The director has

_5  final appointment authority.

_6      (3)(a) A county auditor who is appointed as an agent by the

_7  department shall enter into a standard contract provided by the

_8  director, developed with the advice of the title and registration

_9  advisory committee.

10      (b) A subagent appointed under subsection (2) of this section

11  shall enter into a standard contract with the county auditor,

12  developed with the advice of the title and registration advisory

13  committee.  The director shall provide the standard contract to

14  county auditors.

15      (c) The contracts provided for in (a) and (b) of this

16  subsection must contain at a minimum provisions that:

17      (i) Describe the responsibilities, and where applicable, the

18  liability, of each party relating to the service expectations and

19  levels, equipment to be supplied by the department, and equipment

20  maintenance;

21      (ii) Require the specific type of insurance or bonds so that

22  the state is protected against any loss of collected motor vehicle

23  tax revenues or loss of equipment;

24      (iii) Specify the amount of training that will be provided by

25  the state, the county auditor, or subagents;

26      (iv) Describe allowable costs that may be charged to vehicle

27  licensing activities as provided for in (d) of this subsection;

28      (v) Describe the causes and procedures for termination of the

29  contract, which may include mediation and binding arbitration.

30      (d) The department shall develop procedures that will

31  standardize and prescribe allowable costs that may be assigned to

32  vehicle licensing and vessel registration and title activities

33  performed by county auditors.

34      (e) The contracts may include any provision that the director

35  deems necessary to ensure acceptable service and the full

36  collection of vehicle and vessel tax revenues.

37      (f) The director may waive any provisions of the contract

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_1  deemed necessary in order to ensure that readily accessible

_2  service is provided to the citizens of the state.

_3      (4)(a) At any time any application is made to the director, the

_4  county auditor, or other agent pursuant to any law dealing with

_5  licenses, registration, or the right to operate any vehicle or

_6  vessel upon the public highways or waters of this state, excluding

_7  applicants already paying such fee under RCW 46.16.070 or

_8  46.16.085, the applicant shall pay to the director, county

_9  auditor, or other agent a fee of three dollars for each

10  application in addition to any other fees required by law.

11      (b) Counties that do not cover the expenses of vehicle

12  licensing and vessel registration and title activities may submit

13  to the department a request for cost-coverage moneys.  The request

14  must be submitted on a form developed by the department.  The

15  department shall develop procedures to verify whether a request is

16  reasonable.  Payment shall be made on requests found to be allowable

17  from the licensing services account.

18      (c) Applicants for certificates of ownership, including

19  applicants paying fees under RCW 46.16.070 or 46.16.085, shall pay

20  to the director, county auditor, or other agent a fee of four

21  dollars in addition to any other fees required by law.

22      (d) The fees under (a) and (c) of this subsection, if paid to

23  the county auditor as agent of the director, or if paid to a

24  subagent of the county auditor, shall be paid to the county

25  treasurer in the same manner as other fees collected by the county

26  auditor and credited to the county current expense fund.  If the fee

27  is paid to another agent of the director, the fee shall be used by

28  the agent to defray his or her expenses in handling the

29  application.

30      (5) A subagent shall collect a service fee of (a) ((seven))

31  eight dollars and fifty cents for changes in a certificate of

32  ownership, with or without registration renewal, or verification

33  of record and preparation of an affidavit of lost title other than

34  at the time of the title application or transfer and (b) three

35  dollars and fifty cents for registration renewal only, issuing a

36  transit permit, or any other service under this section.

37      (6) If the fee is collected by the state patrol as agent for

38  the director, the fee so collected shall be certified to the state

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_1  treasurer and deposited to the credit of the state patrol highway

_2  account.  If the fee is collected by the department of

_3  transportation as agent for the director, the fee shall be

_4  certified to the state treasurer and deposited to the credit of

_5  the motor vehicle fund.  All such fees collected by the director or

_6  branches of his office shall be certified to the state treasurer

_7  and deposited to the credit of the highway safety fund.

_8      (7) Any county revenues that exceed the cost of providing

_9  vehicle licensing and vessel registration and title activities in

10  a county, calculated in accordance with the procedures in

11  subsection (3)(d) of this section, shall be expended as determined

12  by the county legislative authority during the process established

13  by law for adoption of county budgets.

14      (8) The director may adopt rules to implement this section.

 

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