FINAL BILL REPORT

SSB 6325

C 222 L 04

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Adjusting provisions of the special license plate law.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Highways & Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Haugen and Esser).

Senate Committee on Highways & Transportation

House Committee on Transportation

Background: The Special License Plate Review Board was created in the 2003 session and charged with reviewing special license plate applications from groups requesting the creation of a special plate. For those applicants who cannot prepay, the initial revenue generated from the plate sales must be deposited into the motor vehicle account until the state has been reimbursed for the implementation costs. The state must be reimbursed within two years from the initial date of sale or the plate series will be put on probation for one year. If the state has not been fully reimbursed at the end of the probationary period, the plate series must be discontinued.

A governmental entity applying for a special license plate must be a political subdivision, a federally recognized tribe, a state agency, or a community or technical college. Agencies that apply must have both the permission of the director of the agency and express statutory authority to apply for a special license plate.

Summary: The requirement that an agency have express statutory authority to apply for a special license plate is removed.

A technical correction is made clarifying the time period in which the state must be reimbursed.

The Department of Licensing (DOL) must offer disabled parking versions of special license plates to persons who qualify for disabled parking privileges. The plates must display an emblem of the universal symbol of access incorporated in the background of the special license plate. DOL may charge the appropriate fee for the special license plate, but may not charge any additional fee for the inclusion of the disabled parking symbol on the special plate. The disabled parking version of a special license plate is to be administered in the same manner as the special disabled parking license plates issued by DOL under current law.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate       48   0

House       74  20

Effective: June 10, 2004

November 1, 2004 (Sections 1 and 2)