Brief Description: Allowing disabled veterans free noncommercial truck licenses.

Sponsors: Representatives Mielke, Orcutt, Boldt, McMahan, Pearson, Ahern, Benson, Sullivan and Campbell.

Hearing Date: 2/10/03

Staff: Reema Griffith (786-7301).

Background:

Under current law, a veteran meeting the requirements set forth in statute is entitled to receive a disabled veteran or a former prisoner of war license plate, free of charge, which may be used on one personal use vehicle. Any unauthorized use of these special plates is a gross misdemeanor which carries a penalty of up to one year in jail and/or a fine of up to $5,000.

The statute is silent on how "personal use vehicle" is defined, so the Department of Licensing (DOL) passed a rule defining the term to include trucks less than 12,000 pounds gross weight. With this rule in place, any vehicle weighing in excess of 12,000 pounds would not be eligible to receive the special plates for free, but rather would have to pay the associated weight fees provided for in statute, which would equate to $72 at the 12,000 pound level, and would go up from there based on the gross weight of the vehicle.

Summary of Bill:

In order to ensure that all qualified individuals may receive their disabled veteran or former prisoner of war license plate for free, regardless of the type of vehicle they may put it on, a definition of "personal use vehicle" is created and includes any vehicle used solely for personal purposes, including vehicles subject to gross weight fees, provided that such vehicles are not used for commercial purposes.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on February 6, 2003.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.