BILL REQ. #: H-1274.2
State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2011 Regular Session |
Read first time 02/17/11. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
AN ACT Relating to mail-in vehicle and vessel registration renewals; reenacting and amending RCW 46.01.140; adding a new section to chapter 46.16A RCW; and adding a new section to chapter 88.02 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 46.01.140 and 2010 1st sp.s. c 7 s 139, 2010 c 221 s
1, and 2010 c 161 s 204 are each reenacted and amended to read as
follows:
(1) County auditor/agent duties. A county auditor or other agent
appointed by the director shall:
(a) Enter into a standard contract provided by the director((, as
developed in consultation with the advice of the title and registration
advisory committee));
(b) Provide all services authorized by the director for vehicle
certificates of title and vehicle registration applications and
issuance under the direction and supervision of the director including,
but not limited to:
(i) Processing reports of sale;
(ii) Processing transitional ownership transactions;
(iii) Processing mail-in vehicle registration renewals under
section 2 of this act until directed otherwise by legislative
authority;
(iv) Issuing registrations and temporary ORV use permits for
off-road vehicles as required under chapter 46.09 RCW;
(v) Issuing registrations for snowmobiles as required under chapter
46.10 RCW; and
(vi) Collecting fees and taxes as required.
(2) County auditor/agent assistants and subagents. A county
auditor or other agent appointed by the director may, with approval of
the director:
(a) Appoint assistants as special deputies to accept applications
for vehicle certificates of title and to issue vehicle registrations;
and
(b) Recommend and request that the director appoint subagencies
within the county to accept applications for vehicle certificates of
title and vehicle registration application issuance.
(3) Appointing subagents. A county auditor or other agent
appointed by the director who requests a subagency shall, with approval
of the director:
(a) 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; and
(b) Submit all proposals to the director with a recommendation for
appointment of one or more subagents who have applied through the open
competitive process. If a qualified successor who is an existing
subagent's sibling, spouse, or child, or a subagency employee has
applied, the county auditor shall provide the name of the qualified
successor and the name of one other applicant who is qualified and was
chosen through the open competitive process.
(4) Subagent duties. A subagent appointed by the director shall:
(a) Enter into a standard contract with the county auditor or agent
provided by the director((, as developed in consultation with the title
and registration advisory committee)); and
(b) Provide all services authorized by the director for vehicle
certificates of title and vehicle registration applications and
issuance under the direction and supervision of the county auditor or
agent and the director including, but not limited to:
(i) Processing reports of sale;
(ii) Processing transitional ownership transactions;
(iii) Processing mail-in vehicle registration renewals under
section 2 of this act until directed otherwise by legislative
authority;
(iv) Mailing out vehicle registrations and replacement license
plates to internet payment option and mail-in vehicle registration
renewal customers until directed otherwise by legislative authority;
(((iv))) (v) Issuing registrations and temporary ORV use permits
for off-road vehicles as required under chapter 46.09 RCW;
(((v))) (vi) Issuing registrations for snowmobiles as required
under chapter 46.10 RCW; and
(((vi))) (vii) Collecting fees and taxes as required.
(5) Subagent successorship. A subagent appointed by the director
who no longer wants his or her appointment may recommend a successor
who is the subagent's sibling, spouse, or child, or a subagency
employee. The recommended successor must participate in the open
competitive process used to select an applicant. In making successor
recommendations and appointment determinations, the following
provisions apply:
(a) 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;
(b) A subagent may not 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; and
(c) The appointment of a successor is intended to assist in the
efficient transfer of appointments to minimize public inconvenience.
The appointment of a successor does not create a proprietary or
property interest in the appointment.
(6) Standard contracts. The standard contracts provided by the
director in this section may include provisions that the director deems
necessary to ensure that readily accessible and acceptable service is
provided to the citizens of the state, including the full collection of
fees and taxes. The standard contracts must include provisions that:
(a) Describe responsibilities and liabilities of each party related
to service expectations and levels;
(b) Describe the equipment to be supplied by the department and
equipment maintenance;
(c) Require specific types of insurance or bonds, or both, to
protect the state against any loss of collected revenue or loss of
equipment;
(d) Specify the amount of training that will be provided by each of
the parties;
(e) Describe allowable costs that may be charged for vehicle
registration activities as described in subsection (7) of this section;
and
(f) Describe causes and procedures for termination of the contract,
which may include mediation and binding arbitration.
(7) County auditor/agent cost reimbursement. A county auditor or
other agent appointed by the director who does not cover expenses for
services provided by the standard contract 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 standardize and identify allowable costs and to verify
whether a request is reasonable. Payment must be made on those
requests found to be allowable from the licensing services account.
(8) County auditor/agent revenue disbursement. County revenues
that exceed the cost of providing services described in the standard
contract, calculated in accordance with the procedures in subsection
(7) of this section, must be expended as determined by the county
legislative authority during the process established by law for
adoption of county budgets.
(9) Appointment authority. The director has final appointment
authority for county auditors or other agents or subagents.
(10) Rules. The director may adopt rules to implement this
section.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 46.16A RCW
to read as follows:
A mail-in vehicle registration renewal must be processed by the
vehicle licensing office that is closest to the address of the
registered owner and located in the county in which the registered
owner resides. The mail-in vehicle registration renewal notice must
list the required fees and taxes for the renewal and address of the
vehicle licensing office that is closest to the address of the
registered owner and located in the county in which the registered
owner resides.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 A new section is added to chapter 88.02 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) A subagent appointed by the director shall:
(a) Process mail-in vessel registration renewals under subsection
(2) of this section until directed otherwise by legislative authority;
and
(b) Mail out vessel registrations and replacement decals to
internet payment option and mail-in vessel registration renewal
customers until directed otherwise by legislative authority.
(2) A mail-in vessel registration renewal must be processed by the
vessel licensing office that is closest to the address of the
registered owner and located in the county in which the registered
owner resides. The mail-in vessel registration renewal notice must
list the required fees and taxes for the renewal and address of the
vessel licensing office that is closest to the address of the
registered owner and located in the county in which the registered
owner resides.