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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