BILL REQ. #:  H-4162.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/08/06.   

     AN ACT Relating to vehicle licensing subagents; and amending RCW 46.01.140.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 46.01.140 and 2005 c 343 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The county auditor, if appointed by the director of licensing shall carry out the provisions of this title relating to the licensing of vehicles and the issuance of vehicle license number plates under the direction and supervision of the director and may with the approval of the director appoint assistants as special deputies and recommend subagents to accept applications and collect fees for vehicle licenses and transfers and to deliver vehicle license number plates.
     (2) A county auditor appointed by the director may request that the director appoint ((subagencies)) subagents within the county.
     (a) Upon authorization of the director, the auditor shall use an open competitive process including, but not limited to, a written business proposal and oral interview to determine the qualifications of all interested applicants.
     (b) A subagent may recommend a successor who is either the subagent's sibling, spouse, or child, or a subagency employee, as long as the recommended successor participates in the open, competitive process used to select an applicant. In making successor recommendation and appointment determinations, the following provisions apply:
     (i) If a subagency is held by a partnership or corporate entity, the nomination must be submitted on behalf of, and agreed to by, all partners or corporate officers.
     (ii) No subagent may receive any direct or indirect compensation or remuneration from any party or entity in recognition of a successor nomination. A subagent may not receive any financial benefit from the transfer or termination of an appointment.
     (iii) (a) and (b) of this subsection are intended to assist in the efficient transfer of appointments in order to minimize public inconvenience. They do not create a proprietary or property interest in the appointment.
     (iv) A subagent appointee who is planning to retire within twelve months may recommend a successor without resigning his or her appointment by submitting a letter of intent to retire to the county auditor with a successor recommendation. The county auditor shall, within sixty days, respond in writing to the subagent appointee indicating if the recommended successor would be considered in the open competitive process. If there are negative factors or deficiencies pertaining to the subagency operation or the recommended successor, the county auditor will state these factors in writing to the subagent appointee. The subagent appointee may withdraw the letter of intent to retire any time prior to the start of the open competitive process by writing to the county auditor and filing a copy with the director.
     (v) A subagent appointee may name a recommended successor at any time during his or her appointment by notifying the county auditor in writing and filing a copy with the director. The purpose of this recommendation is for the county auditor to know the wishes of the subagent appointee in the event of the death or incapacitation of a sole subagent appointee or last remaining subagent appointee that could lead to the inability of the subagent to continue to fulfill the obligations of the appointment.
     (vi) The county auditor shall give great weight to a recommended successor who has demonstrated the ability to manage the day-to-day functions of a vehicle licensing office. If the county auditor does not recommend the recommended successor for appointment as the result of the open competitive process, the subagent appointee and the recommended successor may request a review of the county auditor's recommendation, prior to review by the subagent review team created in department policy. The process for such review will be developed under the direction of the title and registration advisory committee created in RCW 46.01.320.
     (c) The auditor shall submit all proposals to the director, and shall recommend the appointment of one or more subagents who have applied through the open competitive process. The auditor shall include in his or her recommendation to the director, not only the name of the successor who is a relative or employee, if applicable and if otherwise qualified, but also the name of one other applicant who is qualified and was chosen through the open competitive process. The director has final appointment authority.
     (3)(a) A county auditor who is appointed as an agent by the department shall enter into a standard contract provided by the director, developed with the advice of the title and registration advisory committee.
     (b) A subagent appointed under subsection (2) of this section shall enter into a standard contract with the county auditor, developed with the advice of the title and registration advisory committee. The director shall provide the standard contract to county auditors.
     (c) The contracts provided for in (a) and (b) of this subsection must contain at a minimum provisions that:
     (i) Describe the responsibilities, and where applicable, the liability, of each party relating to the service expectations and levels, equipment to be supplied by the department, and equipment maintenance;
     (ii) Require the specific type of insurance or bonds so that the state is protected against any loss of collected motor vehicle tax revenues or loss of equipment;
     (iii) Specify the amount of training that will be provided by the state, the county auditor, or subagents;
     (iv) Describe allowable costs that may be charged to vehicle licensing activities as provided for in (d) of this subsection;
     (v) Describe the causes and procedures for termination of the contract, which may include mediation and binding arbitration.
     (d) The department shall develop procedures that will standardize and prescribe allowable costs that may be assigned to vehicle licensing and vessel registration and title activities performed by county auditors.
     (e) The contracts may include any provision that the director deems necessary to ensure acceptable service and the full collection of vehicle and vessel tax revenues.
     (f) The director may waive any provisions of the contract deemed necessary in order to ensure that readily accessible service is provided to the citizens of the state.
     (4)(a) At any time any application is made to the director, the county auditor, or other agent pursuant to any law dealing with licenses, registration, or the right to operate any vehicle or vessel upon the public highways or waters of this state, excluding applicants already paying such fee under RCW 46.16.070 or 46.16.085, the applicant shall pay to the director, county auditor, or other agent a fee of three dollars for each application in addition to any other fees required by law.
     (b) Counties that do not cover the expenses of vehicle licensing and vessel registration and title activities may submit to the department a request for cost-coverage moneys. The request must be submitted on a form developed by the department. The department shall develop procedures to verify whether a request is reasonable. Payment shall be made on requests found to be allowable from the licensing services account.
     (c) Applicants for certificates of ownership, including applicants paying fees under RCW 46.16.070 or 46.16.085, shall pay to the director, county auditor, or other agent a fee of four dollars in addition to any other fees required by law.
     (d) The fees under (a) and (c) of this subsection, if paid to the county auditor as agent of the director, or if paid to a subagent of the county auditor, shall be paid to the county treasurer in the same manner as other fees collected by the county auditor and credited to the county current expense fund. If the fee is paid to another agent of the director, the fee shall be used by the agent to defray his or her expenses in handling the application.
     (e) Applicants required to pay the three-dollar fee established under (a) of this subsection, must pay an additional seventy-five cents, which must be collected and remitted to the state treasurer and distributed as follows:
     (i) Fifty cents must be deposited into the department of licensing services account of the motor vehicle fund and must be used for agent and subagent support, which is to include but not be limited to the replacement of department-owned equipment in the possession of agents and subagents.
     (ii) Twenty-five cents must be deposited into the license plate technology account created under RCW 46.16.685.
     (5) A subagent shall collect a service fee of (a) ten dollars for changes in a certificate of ownership, with or without registration renewal, or verification of record and preparation of an affidavit of lost title other than at the time of the title application or transfer and (b) four dollars for registration renewal only, issuing a transit permit, or any other service under this section.
     (6) If the fee is collected by the state patrol as agent for the director, the fee so collected shall be certified to the state treasurer and deposited to the credit of the state patrol highway account. If the fee is collected by the department of transportation as agent for the director, the fee shall be certified to the state treasurer and deposited to the credit of the motor vehicle fund. All such fees collected by the director or branches of his office shall be certified to the state treasurer and deposited to the credit of the highway safety fund.
     (7) Any county revenues that exceed the cost of providing vehicle licensing and vessel registration and title activities in a county, calculated in accordance with the procedures in subsection (3)(d) of this section, shall be expended as determined by the county legislative authority during the process established by law for adoption of county budgets.
     (8) The director may adopt rules to implement this section.