(1) A person selling a solid fuel burning device at retail shall collect a fee from the buyer, pursuant to RCW 70.94.483.

(2) The fee shall be:

(a) Set at a minimum of thirty dollars on January 1, 1992. Thereafter, ecology may annually adjust the fee to account for inflation as determined by the office of the state economic and revenue forecast council. Adjustments in the fee should be rounded down to the nearest dollar.

(b) Applicable to all new and used solid fuel burning devices.

(c) Procedures for masonry fireplaces. Generally, contractors will collect, pay, and report the fee to the department of revenue on the combined excise tax return for the tax reporting period during which the retail sales tax is billed to the customer for the construction of the masonry fireplace. (See WAC 458-20-170 for a detailed explanation.) Collection and payment of the fee by contractors shall be in accordance with the following:

(i) A masonry contractor or other subcontractor who builds a masonry fireplace. The retail sale occurs at the time the general or prime contractor or customer is billed for the work. The masonry contractor or other subcontractor must collect the fee and pay it to the department of revenue, unless the masonry contractor or other subcontractor has received a reseller permit from the general or prime contractor. The fee shall be reported on the combined excise tax return.

(ii) A general or prime contractor building a custom building. The retail sale occurs at the time the customer is billed for the construction. The fee is charged and reported with the first progress payment after the masonry fireplace has been substantially completed. If a general or prime contractor subcontracts the work on a custom building to a masonry or other contractor, the general or prime contractor may give the masonry or other subcontractor a reseller permit. The general or prime contractor is responsible to collect the fee and pay it to the department of revenue. The fee is reported on the combined excise tax return.

(iii) A general or prime contractor building a speculation building. The fee is required to be paid at the time the fireplace is complete. The fee must be reported to the department of revenue on a combined excise tax return and paid to the department of revenue. If the prime or general contractor subcontracts the building of the masonry fireplace to a masonry contractor or other subcontractor, the general or prime contractor may not give a reseller permit to the masonry or other subcontractor. The masonry or other subcontractor must collect and pay the fee to the department of revenue as provided in (c)(i) of this subsection.

(d) Procedures for all other solid fuel burning devices. Collected by the retailer at the time of sale and remitted to the department of revenue in conjunction with the retail sales tax under chapter 82.08 RCW.

(3) If the retailer or contractor fails to collect and remit the fee to the department of revenue as prescribed in chapter 82.08 RCW, the retailer or contractor shall be personally liable to the state for the amount of the fee, with subsequent actions taken in accordance with the collection provisions of chapter 82.32 RCW.

(4) Beginning July 1, 1990, and each calendar quarter thereafter, the funds collected under RCW 70.94.483 shall be used solely for the purposes of public education and enforcement of the solid fuel burning device program. The department shall distribute the funds from the woodstove education and enforcement account as follows:

(a) Sixty-six percent of the funds shall be distributed to those local air authorities with enforcement programs, based upon the fraction of the total state population residing in the counties within their respective jurisdictions. Population figures used to establish this fraction shall be determined by the office of financial management. Where an activated local air authority does not exist or does not implement an enforcement program, or elects not to receive the funds, ecology shall retain the funds that would otherwise be distributed under this subsection; and

(b) Thirty-four percent of the funds shall be distributed to ecology for the purposes of enforcement and educating the public about:

(i) The effects of solid fuel burning device emissions upon health and air quality; and

(ii) Methods of achieving better efficiency and emission performance from solid fuel burning devices.