Title: An act relating to transportation revenue.

Brief Description: Funding transportation projects.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Haugen and Swecker).

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Transportation: 4/5/05 [DPS, DNP].

Passed Senate: 4/20/05, 26-22.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6103 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.Signed by Senators Haugen, Chair; Jacobsen, Vice Chair; Swecker, Ranking Minority Member; Eide, Mulliken, Spanel and Weinstein.

Minority Report: Do not pass.Signed by Senators Benson, Esser and Kastama.

Staff: David Ward (786-7341)

Background: The biennial transportation budget is supported by fuel tax revenues as well as various license, permit and fee revenues. To support the current, proposed biennial spending plan, additional revenue is required.

Summary of Bill: Fuel Taxes. The state fuel tax is raised 3 cents July 1, 2005, 3 cents July 1, 2006, 2 cents July 1, 2007, and 1.5 cents July 1, 2008 for a total increase over four years of 9.5 cents.

Weight Fees. A weight fee is levied on vehicles that do not currently pay a weight fee to account for their impact on roadways. Affected vehicles include passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, light trucks and motor homes. Annual vehicle weight fees for passenger vehicles are set at $10 for vehicles up to 4,000 pounds, $20 for vehicles between 4,000 and 6,000 pounds, and $30 dollars for vehicles weighing between 6,000 and 8,000 pounds. Light trucks used for farm purposes are exempted from the weight fee. Motor homes are charged an annual flat fee of $75.
Licenses and Permits. Certain Department of Licensing fees are adjusted to recover the cost of issuing various licenses and permits. Revenues that currently subsidize those costs are reallocated in the new expenditure package.

License fees on small, personal use trailers are lowered from $30 to $15 annually.

A new class of more flexible farm trip permit is also created.

Appropriation: Four million dollars is appropriated from the transportation partnership account for the state auditors office.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: The bill contains several effective dates. Please refer to the bill.