AN ACT Relating to changing the use of funds for the Seattle Sounders FC special license plate; reenacting and amending RCW 46.68.420; and providing an effective date.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 46.68.420 and 2022 c 239 s 3, 2022 c 117 s 3, and 2022 c 96 s 4 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) The department shall:

(a) Collect special license plate fees established under RCW 46.17.220;

(b) Deduct an amount not to exceed ((twelve dollars))$12 for initial issue and two dollars for renewal issue for administration and collection expenses incurred by it; and

(2) The state treasurer shall credit the proceeds to the motor vehicle fund until the department determines that the state has been reimbursed for the cost of implementing the special license plate. Upon determination by the department that the state has been reimbursed, the state treasurer shall credit the remaining special license plate fee amounts for each special license plate to the following appropriate account as created in this section in the custody of the state treasurer:

ACCOUNT	CONDITIONS FOR USE OF FUNDS
4-H programs	Support Washington 4-H programs
Fred Hutch	Support cancer research at the Fred Hutchinson cancer research center
Gonzaga University alumni association	Scholarship funds to needy and qualified students attending or planning to attend Gonzaga University
Helping kids speak	Provide free diagnostic and therapeutic services to families of children who suffer from a delay in language or speech development
Law enforcement memorial	Provide support and assistance to survivors and families of law enforcement officers in Washington killed in the line of duty and to organize, finance, fund, construct, utilize, and maintain a memorial on the state capitol grounds to honor those fallen officers
Lighthouse environmental programs	Support selected Washington state lighthouses that are accessible to the public and staffed by volunteers; provide environmental education programs; provide grants for other Washington lighthouses to assist in funding infrastructure preservation and restoration; encourage and support interpretive programs by lighthouse docents
Music matters awareness	Promote music education in schools throughout Washington
Patches pal, or alternative name as designated by the department under RCW 46.04.383	Provide funds to the Seattle children's hospital strong against cancer program
San Juan Islands programs	Provide funds to the Madrona institute
Seattle Mariners	Provide funds to the sports mentoring program and to support the Washington world fellows program in the following manner: (a) Seventy-five percent to the Washington state leadership board solely to administer the sports mentoring program established under RCW 43.388.040, to encourage youth who have economic needs or face adversities to experience spectator sports or get involved in youth sports, and (b) up to twenty-five percent to the Washington state leadership board solely to administer the Washington world fellows program, an equity focused program
Seattle NHL hockey	Provide funds to the NHL Seattle foundation and to support the boundless Washington program in the following manner: (a) Fifty percent to the NHL Seattle foundation, or its successor organization, to help marginalized youth succeed in life through increased access to sports and other opportunities; (b) twenty-five percent to the Washington state leadership board solely to administer the boundless Washington program to facilitate opportunities for young people with physical and sensory disabilities to enjoy and experience the outdoors; and (c) twenty-five percent to the NHL Seattle foundation, or its successor organization, for providing financial support to allow youth to participate in hockey
Seattle Seahawks	Provide funds to InvestED and to support the Washington world fellows program in the following manner: (a) Seventy-five percent, to InvestED, to encourage secondary students who have economic needs to stay in school, return to school, or get involved within their learning community; and (b) twenty-five percent to the Washington state leadership board solely to administer the Washington world fellows program, including the provision of fellowships
Seattle Sounders FC	Provide funds to ((Washington state mentors and the Washington state leadership board in the following manner: (a) Seventy percent and the remaining proceeds, if any, to Washington state mentors, to increase the number of mentors in the state by offering mentoring grants throughout Washington state that foster positive youth development and academic success, with up to twenty percent of these proceeds authorized for program administration costs; and (b) up to thirty percent, not to exceed forty-thousand dollars annually as adjusted for inflation by the office of financial management, to the Washington state leadership board, to develop Washington state educational, veterans, international relations, and civics projects and to recognize the outstanding public service of individuals or groups in the state of Washington))the RAVE foundation in support of its mission to bring free access to the game of soccer as a way to foster wellness, learning, and joy in youth
Seattle Storm	Provide funds to the Washington state legislative youth advisory council and the Washington state leadership board in the following manner: Twenty-five thousand dollars per year of the net proceeds to the legislative youth advisory council, or its successor organization; and the remaining net proceeds on an annual basis, to the Washington state leadership board for the purpose of providing grants to support and enhance athletic, recreational, and other opportunities for women and girls, and especially those with disabilities
Seattle University	Fund scholarships for students attending or planning to attend Seattle University
Share the road	Promote bicycle safety and awareness education in communities throughout Washington
Ski & ride Washington	Promote winter snowsports, such as skiing and snowboarding, and related programs, such as ski and ride safety programs, underprivileged youth ski and ride programs, and active, healthy lifestyle programs
State flower	Support Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens and provide for grants to other qualified nonprofit organizations' efforts to preserve rhododendrons
Volunteer firefighters	Receive and disseminate funds for purposes on behalf of volunteer firefighters, their families, and others deemed in need
Washington apples	Provide scholarship funding to the tree fruit industry's official charity, the Washington apple education foundation, which provides financial support, professional employment preparedness training, and mentorship to students with ties to the apple industry pursuing a higher education
Washington farmers and ranchers	Provide funds to the Washington FFA Foundation for educational programs in Washington state
Washington state aviation	Provide funds to the department of transportation to support infrastructure improvements at public use airports in Washington state
Washington state council of firefighters benevolent fund	Receive and disseminate funds for charitable purposes on behalf of members of the Washington state council of firefighters, their families, and others deemed in need
Washington state wrestling	Provide funds to the Washington state wrestling foundation to fund new and existing college wrestling programs
Washington tennis	Provide funds to cities to assist in the construction and maintenance of a public tennis facility with at least four indoor tennis courts. A city is eligible for construction funds if the city does not already have a public or private facility with at least four indoor tennis courts. Funds for construction must first be made available to the most populous eligible city, according to the most recent census, for a time period not to exceed five years after January 1, 2017. After the five-year time period, the funds for construction must be made available to the next most populous eligible city. Funds for the maintenance of a public tennis facility with at least four indoor tennis courts must first be made available to the first eligible city that utilizes funds for construction provided by chapter 16, Laws of 2016
Washington wine	Provide funds to the state of Washington tourism to promote tourism throughout Washington state
Washington's national park fund	Build awareness of Washington's national parks and support priority park programs and projects in Washington's national parks, such as enhancing visitor experience, promoting volunteerism, engaging communities, and providing educational opportunities related to Washington's national parks
We love our pets	Support and enable the Washington federation of animal welfare and control agencies to promote and perform spay/neuter surgery of Washington state pets in order to reduce pet population

(3) Except as otherwise provided in this section, only the director or the director's designee may authorize expenditures from the accounts described in subsection (2) of this section. The accounts are subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.

(4) Except as otherwise provided in this section, funds in the special license plate accounts described in subsection (2) of this section must be disbursed subject to the conditions described in subsection (2) of this section and under contract between the department and qualified nonprofit organizations that provide the services described in subsection (2) of this section.

(5) Funds from the Seattle Seahawks account may be provided to the Washington state leadership board solely for the purpose of administering the Washington world fellows program. Of the amounts received by the Washington state leadership board under this subsection, at least ((ninety))90 percent must be provided as fellowships under the program.

(6) Beginning January 1, 2019, funds from the Seattle Mariners account may be provided to the Washington state leadership board solely for the purpose of administering the sports mentoring program. Of the amounts received by the Washington state leadership board, at least ninety percent must be applied towards services directly provided to youth participants.

(7) For the purposes of this section, a "qualified nonprofit organization" means a not-for-profit corporation operating in Washington that has received a determination of tax exempt status under 26 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c)(3). The qualified nonprofit organization must meet all the requirements under RCW 46.18.100(1).

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. This act takes effect October 1, 2024.

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