Title: An act relating to department of licensing agent and subagent provisions.

Brief Description: Modifying subagent authority to process mail-in vehicle registration renewals.

Sponsors: By House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives Hatfield, Woods, Simpson, Cooper, Rockefeller and Mielke).

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

• Allows subagents to mail out on-line registration renewals and replacement plates when requested by the customer.

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 29 members: Representatives Murray, Chair; Rockefeller, Vice Chair; Simpson, Vice Chair; Ericksen, Ranking Minority Member; Jarrett, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Anderson, Armstrong, Bailey, Campbell, Clibborn, Cooper, Dickerson, Edwards, Flannigan, Hankins, Hatfield, Hudgins, Kristiansen, Lovick, Mielke, Morris, Nixon, Romero, Schindler, Shabro, Sullivan, Wallace, Wood and Woods.

Currently a Washington vehicle owner can use the Internet to renew their license tabs. There are two ways to receive tabs; have them mailed or pick them up at a county auditor or subagent office chosen by the customer. If a person chooses to have them mailed, the information is sent to the county auditor's office and they process all mail requests.

At this time replacement plates cannot be requested on-line. A person must go to their county auditor or subagent to purchase or send their renewal to the county auditor for mail out. The Department of Licensing is currently working on offering replacement plates on-line and hope to have the option available July 2003.

This bill would give the authority for subagents to also mail out license tabs if chosen by the customer when renewing their vehicle on-line. It would also give subagents the authority to mail out replacement plates to on-line customers when that option becomes available. This authority includes being reimbursed for the cost of postage to mail out the replacement plates.

The Department of Licensing is required to provide notice to Internet customers on the web page that lists each department, county auditor, and subagent office, that additional fees will be collected for services provided by subagents. A null and void clause is provided.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect on October 1, 2003. However, the bill is null and void if not funded in the transportation budget.

Testimony For: The bill will allow for better customer service because subagents will be able to process requests within 24 hours. It also decreases the workload in county auditor offices.

Testified: Jan Novack, Washington Association of Vehicle Subagents; and Don McCallum, Washington Association of Vehicle Subagents