SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6325

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Highways & Transportation, January 22, 2004

Title: An act relating to special license plates.

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

Sponsors: Senators Haugen and Esser.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Highways & Transportation: 1/21/04, 1/22/04 [DPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6325 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators Horn, Chair; Swecker, Vice Chair; Esser, Haugen, Jacobsen, Kastama, Murray, Oke, Poulsen and Spanel.

Staff: Kimberly Johnson (786-7346)

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 of Substitute Bill: 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.

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 fee, 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.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: The substitute provides that 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 fee, 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.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill has multiple effective dates; please refer to the bill.

Testimony For: None.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: No one.