BILL REQ. #:  H-0171.1 

Prefiled 12/30/2002. Read first time 01/13/2003.   Referred to Committee on Transportation.

     AN ACT Relating to the creation of a license plate emblem to benefit orca whale research; adding a new section to chapter 77.12 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.300 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that the population of certain pods of orca whales had peaked at ninety-nine in 1995, but since that time the number of these whales has dropped to seventy-eight in 2001. Monitoring the status and the dynamics affecting these whales is important because as top predators within their environment, they act as an important indicator of the health of prey species such as salmon. The legislature finds that the creation of an orca whale emblem that will affix to a vehicle license plate will appeal to citizens interested in supporting orca whale research.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 77.12 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Any person may purchase an orca whale research emblem for display on vehicle license plates in the manner described by the department. The emblems shall be designed to be affixed to a vehicle license number plate by pressure-sensitive adhesive so as not to obscure the plate identification numbers or letters. The department, after consulting with the Washington state patrol, shall determine whether the emblems use fully reflectorized materials designed to provide visibility at night.
     (2) The whale museum located in Friday Harbor, Washington, shall select the design of the orca whale research emblem.
     (3) The commission shall adopt fees to be charged by the department for emblems issued by the department under this section. The department shall seek to establish agreements with businesses and nonprofit organizations to conduct the sales of orca whale research emblems. All sales by the department shall be in bulk to businesses and nonprofit organizations for subsequent sale to the general public. The fee for each orca whale research emblem issued under this section shall be in an amount sufficient to offset the costs of production of the emblems and the administration of that program by the department, and to cover the costs incurred by the department to administer the grant program established in section 3 of this act, not to exceed a total fee of twenty-five dollars per emblem. The commission may adopt rules to implement this section, including the setting of fees.
     (4) The orca whale research account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts by the department from the issuance of orca whale research emblems under this section shall be deposited into this account. Expenditures from the account may be used only for the costs of production of orca whale research emblems and administration of the program by the department, with the balance used only by the department for orca whale research in accordance with section 3 of this act. Only the director or the director's designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for expenditures.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 43.300 RCW to read as follows:
     The department shall administer a grant program for orca whale research by Washington state researchers for J-K-L whalepods in the Salish sea. Funding for the program shall come from sales of orca whale research emblems pursuant to section 2 of this act. The department must award research grants under this section through a competitive request-for-proposal process. The department shall develop and adopt policies to establish an application process for the grants, criteria to evaluate the applications, and to monitor the activities of grant recipients. The department may adopt rules necessary to implement the grant program established in this section.