(1) All persons certified or seeking certification under chapter 70.95B RCW and this chapter must pay an application fee and/or renewal fee to the department each year.

(2) All costs of activities associated with administering this program, as described in RCW 70.95B.095(1), are fee eligible.

(3) Each biennium, the department must conduct a workload analysis and develop a budget estimate based on the process below.

(a) The department must conduct a workload analysis projecting resource requirements for administering the program for the purposes of preparing a budget estimate.

(b) The department must prepare the workload analysis for the two-year period corresponding to each biennium.

(c) The workload analysis must identify the fee eligible administrative activities that it will perform during the biennium and must estimate the resources required to perform these activities.

(4) Ecology must prepare a budget estimate for administering the program for the two-year period corresponding to each biennium. Ecology must base the budget on the resource requirements identified in the workload analysis for the biennium and must take into account the program account balance at the start of the biennium.

(5) Table 1 below establishes the fee schedule for Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021.

Table 1

Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021 Fee Schedule

(6) After fiscal year 2021, the department must base the fee schedule on the budget and workload analysis described in this section.

(a) Every two years, the department will issue a draft fee schedule with the proposed application and renewal fees for the next biennium for public comment.

(b) The department will publish the draft fee schedule for the following biennium on or before March 31st of each odd year.

(c) The comment period on the draft fee schedule is forty-five days.

(d) The department will publish the final fee schedule for the following biennium on or before June 30th of each odd year.

(7) Fees specified in this section must be made payable to the department.

(a) The department will process applications only when accompanied by an application fee, based on the fee schedule published for that state fiscal year.

(b) The department will process renewals only when accompanied by a renewal fee, based on the fee schedule published for that state fiscal year, and when renewal requirements are met per WAC 173-230-300.

(c) Operators are only required to pay one renewal fee per year.

(d) Fees are not refundable; however, the department may issue refunds at its discretion.

(8) All fees paid pursuant to RCW 70.95B.095 and any other receipts realized in the administration of this program must be deposited into the wastewater treatment plant operator certification account.