H-1483              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1888

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Representatives Belcher and Sprenkle

Read first time 2/10/89 and referred to Committee on Revenue.

AN ACT Relating to increased funding for transferring trust lands to the state park system; amending RCW 82.44.110 and 82.50.510; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     Since 1985, the legislature has directed that approximately eight thousand one hundred thirty acres of trust land be added to the state park system.  The twenty-seven parcels include old-growth forests, saltwater and freshwater shorelines, islands, and habitat for threatened and endangered species.  These properties will increase the size of existing parks and create new state park sites to meet present and future demands for recreational opportunities.  The department of natural resources transfers these properties to the parks and recreation commission as funds become available through the trust land purchase account.  Based on current cash flow, some properties will not be available to the park system for at least twenty years.  Recognizing the needs of both agencies for timely transfer of these properties, the 1988 legislature directed the agencies to conduct a study and recommend mechanisms for accelerating reimbursement to the trusts for these lands.  It is in the public interest to transfer these properties to the park system before the end of this century by increasing the cash flow to the trust land purchase account using the mechanism defined in RCW 82.44.110.

        Sec. 2.  Section 82.44.110, chapter 15, Laws of 1961 as last amended by section 7, chapter 9, Laws of 1987 1st ex. sess. and RCW 82.44.110 are each amended to read as follows:

          The county auditor shall regularly, when remitting license fee receipts, pay over and account to the director of licensing for the excise taxes collected under the provisions of this chapter.  The director shall forthwith transmit the excise taxes to the state treasurer, ninety-eight percent of which excise tax revenue, minus that amount diverted by subsection (4) of this section, shall upon receipt thereof be credited by the state treasurer to the general fund, and two percent of which excise tax revenue shall be credited by the state treasurer to the motor  vehicle fund to defray administrative and other expenses incurred by the state department of licensing in the collection of the excise tax:  PROVIDED, That:

          (1) One hundred percent of the proceeds of the additional tax imposed by RCW 82.44.020(2) shall be credited by the state treasurer to the Puget Sound capital construction account in the motor vehicle fund;

          (2) One hundred percent of the proceeds of the additional tax imposed by RCW 82.44.020(3) shall be credited by the state treasurer to the Puget Sound ferry operations account in the motor vehicle fund; ((and))

          (3) All revenues collected under RCW 82.44.020(6) shall be credited by the state treasurer to the general fund;

(4) Ten percent of the excise taxes attributable to recreational vehicles shall be credited to the trust land purchase account in the state treasury, and shall be used for the purposes set forth in RCW 43.51.280.  Recreational vehicle shall mean a motorized vehicle designed for both transportation and temporary habitation, equipped with facilities and equipment for domestic use, such as toilet, cooking, and sleeping facilities, and capable of hookup to sewage, water, or electrical utilities found at recreational campsites, but shall not include vehicles subject to chapter 82.52 RCW.

        Sec. 3.  Section 66, chapter 299, Laws of 1971 ex. sess. as amended by section 1, chapter 75, Laws of 1975-'76 2nd ex. sess. and RCW 82.50.510 are each amended to read as follows:

          The county auditor shall regularly, when remitting motor vehicle excise taxes, pay to the state treasurer the excise taxes collected under this chapter.  The treasurer shall then distribute such funds quarterly on the first day of the month of January, April, July and October of each year in the following amount:  Fifteen percent to cities and towns for the use thereof apportioned ratably among such cities and towns on the basis of population; fifteen percent to counties for the use thereof to be apportioned ratably among such counties on the basis of moneys collected in such counties from the excise taxes imposed under this chapter; ten percent to be deposited in the trust land purchase account in the state treasury, and used for the purposes set forth in RCW 43.51.280; and ((seventy)) sixty percent for schools to be deposited in the state general fund.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.