BILL REQ. #: S-0828.1
State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2011 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/26/11. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
AN ACT Relating to providing a congestion reduction charge to fund the operational and capital needs of transit agencies; amending RCW 82.80.005; adding a new section to chapter 82.80 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 46.68 RCW; creating a new section; providing an effective date; and providing an expiration date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature recognizes that public
transportation provides many benefits to the citizens of the state and
the environment, including through public transportation's ability to
alleviate congestion. In these challenging economic times, many
transit agencies find themselves struggling to continue to provide a
level of service that reduces congestion. It is the intent of the
legislature to provide these transit agencies with a temporary tool, in
the form of a congestion reduction charge, that can help address their
revenue shortfalls during this economic crisis and allow them to
continue reducing congestion on some of the state's most crowded
corridors.
Sec. 2 RCW 82.80.005 and 2002 c 56 s 415 are each amended to read
as follows:
((For the purposes of this chapter,)) The definitions in this
section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly
requires otherwise.
(1) "District" means a regional transportation investment district
created under chapter 36.120 RCW.
(2) "Public transportation system" or "transportation system" means
any metropolitan municipal corporation that may perform the function of
metropolitan public transportation pursuant to chapter 35.58 RCW; any
county performing the public transportation function as authorized in
RCW 36.57.100 and 36.57.110 or that has established a county
transportation authority pursuant to chapter 36.57 RCW; any public
transportation benefit area established pursuant to chapter 36.57A RCW;
and any city that is not located within the boundaries of a
metropolitan municipal corporation, county transportation authority, or
public transportation benefit area, and that owns, operates, or
contracts for the services of a publicly owned or operated system of
transportation. However, "public transportation system" or
"transportation system" means, in respect to any county performing the
public transportation function pursuant to RCW 36.57.100 and 36.57.110,
only that portion of the unincorporated area lying wholly within such
unincorporated transportation benefit area.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 A new section is added to chapter 82.80 RCW
to read as follows:
(1)(a) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the
governing body of a public transportation system located in a county
with a population of five hundred thousand or more bordering on Puget
Sound may impose by majority vote a congestion reduction charge of up
to thirty dollars per vehicle registered in the boundaries of the
transportation system for each vehicle subject to vehicle license fees
under RCW 46.17.350(1) (a), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (j), (l), (n),
(o), (p), or (q) and for each vehicle subject to gross weight license
fees under RCW 46.17.355 with an unladen weight of six thousand pounds
or less.
(b) Prior to the imposition of a congestion reduction charge
authorized under (a) of this subsection, a public transportation system
must complete a congestion reduction plan indicating the proposed
expenditures of the proceeds of the congestion reduction charge.
(c) A public transportation system that imposes a congestion
reduction charge authorized under (a) of this subsection must complete
a report by July 1, 2012, detailing the expenditures of the proceeds of
the congestion reduction charge through June 1, 2012.
(d) A public transportation system that imposes a congestion
reduction charge authorized under (a) of this subsection must complete
a report by June 1, 2014, detailing the expenditures of the proceeds of
the congestion reduction charge.
(2) The governing body of a public transportation system may not
impose a congestion reduction charge authorized under subsection (1)(a)
of this section for a passenger-only ferry transportation improvement,
unless the charge is first approved by a majority of the voters within
the jurisdiction of the public transportation system.
(3) A public transportation system shall contract with the
department of licensing as provided under section 4 of this act for the
collection of the congestion reduction charge.
(4) A congestion reduction charge imposed under this section may
not be assessed until six months after approval.
(5) A congestion reduction charge imposed under this section
applies only for vehicle registration renewals and is effective upon
the registration renewal date as provided by the department of
licensing.
(6) The following vehicles are exempt from the congestion reduction
charge imposed under this section:
(a) Farm tractors or farm vehicles as defined in RCW 46.04.180 and
46.04.181;
(b) Off-road vehicles as defined in RCW 46.04.365;
(c) Nonhighway vehicles as defined in RCW 46.09.310;
(d) Vehicles registered under chapter 46.87 RCW and the
international registration plan; and
(e) Snowmobiles as defined in RCW 46.04.546.
(7) The authority to impose a congestion reduction charge
authorized in this subsection (1)(a) of this section expires with
vehicle registrations that expire no later than December 31, 2013.
(8) This section expires June 30, 2014.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4 A new section is added to chapter 46.68 RCW
to read as follows:
Whenever the department enters into a contract with a public
transportation system as defined in RCW 82.80.005 for the collection of
congestion reduction charges authorized under section 3 of this act:
(1) The contract must require that the public transportation system
provide any information specified by the department to identify the
vehicle owners who owe the congestion reduction charges, and must
specify that it is the responsibility of the public transportation
system to ensure that the congestion reduction charges are
appropriately applied;
(2) The department is not responsible for the collection of
congestion reduction charges until a date agreed to by both parties as
specified in the contract;
(3) The department shall deduct a percentage amount as provided in
the contract, not to exceed three percent of the charges collected,
necessary to reimburse the department for the costs incurred for the
collection of the congestion reduction charges; and
(4) The department shall remit remaining proceeds to the custody of
the state treasurer. The state treasurer shall distribute the proceeds
to the public transportation system on a monthly basis.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5 This act takes effect August 1, 2011.