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Z‑0571.1 _____________________________________________

SENATE BILL 5778

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State of Washington 57th Legislature 2001 Regular Session

By Senators Haugen and Oke; by request of Department of Licensing

Read first time 02/02/2001. Referred to Committee on Transportation.

_1 AN ACT Relating to licensing filing fees; and amending RCW

_2 46.01.140 and 46.16.071.

_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 dollars

31 and fifty cents for changes in a certificate of ownership, with or

32 without registration renewal, or verification of record and

33 preparation of an affidavit of lost title other than at the time

34 of the title application or transfer and (b) three dollars for

35 registration renewal only, issuing a transit permit, or any other

36 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 or her office shall be certified to the state

_7 treasurer and deposited to the credit of the ((~~highway safety~~

_8 ~~fund~~)) multimodal account.

_9 (7) Any county revenues that exceed the cost of providing

10 vehicle licensing and vessel registration and title activities in

11 a county, calculated in accordance with the procedures in

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

13 by the county legislative authority during the process established

14 by law for adoption of county budgets.

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

16 Sec. 2. RCW 46.16.071 and 1996 c 315 s 4 are each amended to read

17 as follows:

18 (1) In addition to the fees set forth in RCW 46.16.070, there

19 shall be paid and collected annually upon registration, a fee of

20 one dollar for each truck, motor truck, truck tractor, road

21 tractor, tractor, bus, auto stage, or for hire vehicle with

22 seating capacity of more than six, notwithstanding the provisions

23 of RCW 46.16.070.

24 (2) In addition to the fees set forth in RCW 46.16.085, there

25 shall be paid and collected annually upon registration, a fee of

26 one dollar for each trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer,

27 notwithstanding the provisions of RCW 46.16.085.

28 (3) The proceeds from the fees collected under subsections (1)

29 and (2) of this section shall be deposited into the ((~~highway~~

30 ~~safety fund~~)) multimodal account, except that for each vehicle

31 registered by a county auditor or agent to a county auditor under

32 RCW 46.01.140, the proceeds shall be credited to the current

33 county expense fund.

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