BILL REQ. #:  Z-0951.3 

Read first time 01/17/08.   Referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.

     AN ACT Relating to fees for gambling activities regulated by the Washington state gambling commission; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   During fiscal years 2008 and 2009, the fee increases and new fees in subsections (1) through (6) of this section authorized by the Washington state gambling commission, pursuant to its authority under RCW 9.46.070 (5) and (6), are approved.
     (1) Effective January 1, 2009, the commission may increase the fees to the amount necessary to cover costs of processing these licensing actions. The fee shall be based on and not exceed the average actual cost to process the actions as determined by the commission:
     (a) Business change of location fee to one hundred sixty-seven dollars;
     (b) Change of business classification fee to one hundred sixty-seven dollars;
     (c) Change in license class fee to one hundred sixty-seven dollars; and
     (d) Change in corporate stock/limited liability corporation shares/units to three hundred sixty dollars.
     (2) Effective January 1, 2009, the commission may increase the following Washington state identification and inspection stamp fees as necessary to offset fiscal growth factor-related rounding limitations experienced in the past:
     (a) Punchboard/pull-tab games with wagers fifty cents or lower to thirty-five cents;
     (b) Punchboard/pull-tab games with wagers over fifty cents to one dollar and thirty-seven cents;
     (c) Mechanical or electromechanical pull-tab dispensers to thirty-five cents;
     (d) Disposable bingo cards, sets of individual cards or sheets of cards, to thirty-five cents; and
     (e) Disposable bingo cards, collations of cards, to one dollar and fifty cents.
     (3) Effective July 1, 2008, the commission may replace the current manufacturer annual license fee with a fee that is three percent of annual gross gambling sales and services.
     (4) Effective July 1, 2008, the commission may establish an additional fee to cover costs of reviewing company information for publicly traded companies that are licensed or hold an ownership interest in a licensee. The fee shall not exceed six thousand five hundred dollars annually.
     (5) Effective July 1, 2008, the commission may establish a new individual license fee for corporate/limited liability company officers who are not already licensed, in order to ensure individuals that influence the operation of the organization are licensed. The fee shall not exceed three hundred thirty-seven dollars annually.
     (6) All other commission fees may be increased once in fiscal years 2008 and 2009. The increase in fiscal year 2008 shall not exceed the fiscal growth factor of five and fifty-three one-hundredths percent, and the increase in fiscal year 2009 shall not exceed the estimated fiscal growth factor of five and thirty-eight one-hundredths percent.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.