BP BHEAD INT S [atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to local vehicle license fees adopted to fund specific projects; and amending RCW 82.80.020 and 82.80.080.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 82.80.020 and 1996 c 139 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The legislative authority of a county, or of a qualifying city or town located in a county that has not imposed a fifteen-dollar fee under this section, may fix and impose an additional fee, not to exceed fifteen dollars per vehicle, for each vehicle that is subject to license fees under RCW 46.16.060 and for each vehicle that is subject to RCW 46.16.070 with an unladen weight of six thousand pounds or less, and that is determined by the department of licensing to be registered within the boundaries of the county.

(2) The department of licensing shall administer and collect the fee. The department shall deduct a percentage amount, as provided by contract, not to exceed two percent of the taxes collected, for administration and collection expenses incurred by it. The remaining proceeds shall be remitted to the custody of the state treasurer for monthly distribution under RCW 82.80.080.

(3) The proceeds of this fee shall be used strictly for transportation purposes in accordance with RCW 82.80.070.

(4) A county or qualifying city or town imposing this fee or initiating an exemption process shall delay the effective date at least six months from the date the ordinance is enacted to allow the department of licensing to implement administration and collection of or exemption from the fee.

(5) The legislative authority of a county or qualifying city or town may develop and initiate an exemption process of the fifteen dollar fee for the registered owners of vehicles residing within the boundaries of the county or qualifying city or town: (a) Who are sixty-one years old or older at the time payment of the fee is due and whose household income for the previous calendar year is less than an amount prescribed by the county or qualifying city or town legislative authority((,)); or (b) who ((~~has~~)) have a physical disability.

(6) The legislative authority of a county or qualifying city or town shall develop and initiate an exemption process of the fifteen-dollar fee for vehicles registered within the boundaries of the county that are licensed under RCW 46.16.374.

(7) A qualifying city or town may not impose a fee that, if combined with the county fee in that county, exceeds fifteen dollars. If a county imposes or increases a fee under this section that, if combined with the fee imposed by a city or town within that county, exceeds fifteen dollars, the city or town fee in that county shall be reduced or eliminated as needed so that in no city or town does the combined fee exceed fifteen dollars. All revenues from county-imposed fees shall be distributed as called for in RCW 82.80.020(1).

(8) For purposes of this section, a "qualifying city or town" means a city or town residing within a county having a population of greater than seventy-five thousand in which is located all or part of a national monument.

(9) The fee imposed under this section shall not apply to initial vehicle registrations.

Sec. 2. RCW 82.80.080 and 1990 c 42 s 213 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The state treasurer shall distribute revenues, less authorized deductions, generated by the local option taxes authorized in RCW 82.80.010 and 82.80.020, levied by counties to the levying counties, and cities contained in those counties, based on the relative per capita population. County population for purposes of this section is equal to one and one-half of the unincorporated population of the county. In calculating the distributions, the state treasurer shall use the population estimates prepared by the state office of financial management and shall further calculate the distribution based on information supplied by the departments of licensing and revenue, as appropriate.

(2) The state treasurer shall distribute revenues, less authorized deductions, generated by the local option taxes authorized in RCW 82.80.010 and 82.80.020 levied by qualifying cities and towns to the levying cities and towns.