AN ACT Relating to providing funding for the hunter education training program operated by the department of fish and wildlife through the issuance of national rifle association special license plates; amending RCW 46.68.425 and 77.15.425; reenacting and amending RCW 46.18.200, 46.17.220, and 46.18.060; adding a new section to chapter 46.04 RCW; and providing an effective date.

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

Sec. 1.  RCW 46.18.200 and 2014 c 77 s 1 and 2014 c 6 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) Special license plate series reviewed and approved by the department:

(a) May be issued in lieu of standard issue or personalized license plates for vehicles required to display one and two license plates unless otherwise specified;

(b) Must be issued under terms and conditions established by the department;

(c) Must not be issued for vehicles registered under chapter 46.87 RCW; and

(d) Must display a symbol or artwork approved by the department.

(2) The department approves and shall issue the following special license plates:

(3) Applicants for initial and renewal professional firefighters and paramedics special license plates must show proof of eligibility by providing a certificate of current membership from the Washington state council of firefighters.

(4) Applicants for initial volunteer firefighters special license plates must (a) have been a volunteer firefighter for at least ten years or be a volunteer firefighter for one or more years and (b) have documentation of service from the district of the appropriate fire service. If the volunteer firefighter leaves firefighting service before ten years of service have been completed, the volunteer firefighter shall surrender the license plates to the department on the registration renewal date. If the volunteer firefighter stays in service for at least ten years and then leaves, the license plate may be retained by the former volunteer firefighter and as long as the license plate is retained for use the person will continue to pay the future registration renewals. A qualifying volunteer firefighter may have no more than one set of license plates per vehicle, and a maximum of two sets per applicant, for their personal vehicles. If the volunteer firefighter is convicted of a violation of RCW 46.61.502 or a felony, the license plates must be surrendered upon conviction.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 46.04 RCW to read as follows:

"National rifle association license plates" means special license plates issued under RCW 46.18.200 that display the "National Rifle Association" logo.

Sec. 3.  RCW 46.17.220 and 2014 c 77 s 2 and 2014 c 6 s 2 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) In addition to all fees and taxes required to be paid upon application for a vehicle registration in chapter 46.16A RCW, the holder of a special license plate shall pay the appropriate special license plate fee as listed in this section.

(2) After deducting administration and collection expenses for the sale of baseball stadium license plates, the remaining proceeds must be distributed to a county for the purpose of paying the principal and interest payments on bonds issued by the county to construct a baseball stadium, as defined in RCW 82.14.0485, including reasonably necessary preconstruction costs, while the taxes are being collected under RCW 82.14.360. After this date, the state treasurer shall credit the funds to the state general fund.

Sec. 4.  RCW 46.68.425 and 2014 c 77 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The department shall:

(a) Collect special license plate fees established under RCW 46.17.220;

(b) Deduct an amount not to exceed twelve dollars for initial issue and two dollars for renewal issue for administration and collection expenses incurred by it; and

(c) Remit the remaining proceeds to the custody of the state treasurer with a proper identifying detailed report.

(2) The state treasurer shall credit the proceeds to the motor vehicle fund until the department determines that the state has been reimbursed for the cost of implementing the special license plate. Upon determination by the department that the state has been reimbursed, the state treasurer shall credit the remaining special license plate fees to the following accounts by special license plate type:

Sec. 5.  RCW 77.15.425 and 2014 c 48 s 17 are each amended to read as follows:

The fish and wildlife enforcement reward account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. Deposits to the account include: Receipts from fish and shellfish overages as a result of a department enforcement action; fees for hunter education deferral applications; fees for master hunter applications and master hunter certification renewals; fees for national rifle association license plates as provided in RCW 46.68.425; all receipts from criminal wildlife penalty assessments under RCW 77.15.370, 77.15.400, and 77.15.420; all receipts of court-ordered restitution or donations associated with any fish, shellfish, or wildlife enforcement action; and proceeds from forfeitures and evidence pursuant to RCW 77.15.070 and 77.15.100. The department may accept money or personal property from persons under conditions requiring the property or money to be used consistent with the intent of expenditures from the fish and wildlife enforcement reward account. Expenditures from the account may be used only for investigation and prosecution of fish and wildlife offenses, to provide rewards to persons informing the department about violations of this title and rules adopted under this title, to offset department-approved costs incurred to administer the hunter education deferral program and the master hunter permit program, for the enhanced support of firearm safety and education as part of the hunter education training program under RCW 77.32.155, and for other valid enforcement uses as determined by the commission. 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 an appropriation is not required for expenditures.

Sec. 6.  RCW 46.18.060 and 2014 c 77 s 5 and 2014 c 6 s 4 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) The department must review and either approve or reject special license plate applications submitted by sponsoring organizations.

(2) Duties of the department include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) Review and approve the annual financial reports submitted by sponsoring organizations with active special license plate series and present those annual financial reports to the joint transportation committee;

(b) Report annually to the joint transportation committee on the special license plate applications that were considered by the department;

(c) Issue approval and rejection notification letters to sponsoring organizations, the executive committee of the joint transportation committee, and the legislative sponsors identified in each application. The letters must be issued within seven days of making a determination on the status of an application; and

(d) Review annually the number of plates sold for each special license plate series created after January 1, 2003. The department may submit a recommendation to discontinue a special plate series to the executive committee of the joint transportation committee.

(3) In order to assess the effects and impact of the proliferation of special license plates, the legislature declares a temporary moratorium on the issuance of any additional plates until July 1, 2015. During this period of time, the department is prohibited from accepting, reviewing, processing, or approving any applications. Additionally, a special license plate may not be enacted by the legislature during the moratorium, unless the proposed license plate has been approved by the former special license plate review board before February 15, 2005.

(4) The limitations under subsection (3) of this section do not apply to the following special license plates:

(a) 4-H license plates created under RCW 46.18.200;

(b) Breast cancer awareness license plates created under RCW 46.18.200;

(c) Gold star license plates created under RCW 46.18.245;

(d) Music Matters license plates created under RCW 46.18.200;

(e) National rifle association license plates created under RCW 46.18.200;

(f) Seattle Seahawks license plates created under RCW 46.18.200;

(((f))) (g) Seattle Sounders FC license plates created under RCW 46.18.200;

(((g))) (h) Seattle University license plates created under RCW 46.18.200;

(((h))) (i) State flower license plates created under RCW 46.18.200;

(((i))) (j) Volunteer firefighter license plates created under RCW 46.18.200.

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