Title: An act relating to subagents' fees.

Brief Description: Increasing certain fees of licensing subagents.

Sponsors: Senators Eide, Swecker, Spanel, Stevens, Mulliken, Rasmussen and Benson.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Transportation: 3/2/05, 3/3/05 [DP].

Passed Senate: 3/12/05, 49-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by Senators Haugen, Chair; Jacobsen, Vice Chair; Poulsen, Vice Chair; Swecker, Ranking Minority Member; Esser, Kastama, Mulliken, Oke, Spanel and Weinstein.

Staff: Janice Baumgardt (786-7319)

Background: Under current law, subagents have a contract with a county auditor to perform vehicle licensing functions. Subagents collect a service fee of $8.50 for changes in a certificate of ownership, with or without registration renewal, or verification of the records and preparation of an affidavit of lost title. Subagents charge a $3.50 service fee for renewing a vehicle registration, issuing a transit permit or other vehicle services.

Summary of Bill: The subagent service fee for changes in certificate of ownership, verification of record and preparation of an affidavit of lost title is increased to $10.00. The fee for renewing a registration, issuing a transit permit, or other services is raised to $4.00.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: The complexity of the work mandated by the Legislature has increased as has the cost of doing business; this fee increase is necessary to cover those costs.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Corky Mattingly, President of Washington State Association of County Auditors and Yakima County Auditor; Thad Duval, Douglas County Auditor and WSAA Licensing Co-chair; Jan Novak, Executive Director of Washington Association of Vehicle Subagents (WAVS); Neal Lockett, White Center Licensing Agency and WAVS member; Patrick McMahan Jr., McMahan Licensing Agency and WAVS member.