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                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 4675

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                                                            AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

                                                                          C 280 L 86 PV

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By Senators Vognild, Guess, Garrett, Bender, Hansen, Sellar, Barr, Patterson, Metcalf, DeJarnatt, Johnson and Zimmerman

Read first time 1/20/86 and referred to Committee on Transportation.

AN ACT Relating to motor vehicle license plates; amending RCW 46.16.270; adding a new section to chapter 27.60 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 46.16 RCW; and repealing RCW 46.16.275.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 46.16 RCW to read as follows:

          In order to help publicize and commemorate the state's 1989 anniversary celebration of its admission to the Union, a new centennial design shall be developed by the department for vehicle license plates that uses reflectorized materials necessary to provide adequate visibility and legibility at night.

          The centennial plates shall be developed in cooperation with the design selection committee appointed by the director.  The committee shall include representation from the Washington centennial commission.

          Registration numbers and letters for the centennial plate shall be assigned by the department in accordance with established procedures.  Distribution of the centennial license plates shall commence January 1, 1987, to all new vehicle registrations and license plate replacements.  In addition, the centennial plate shall be available for purchase by all other vehicle owners at the owner's option.

          Revenues generated from the centennial plate shall go in part to support local and state centennial activities as provided in section 2 of this act.  In addition to the basic fees for new vehicle registrations provided in RCW 46.16.060, persons purchasing centennial plates shall pay an additional fee of one dollar per plate to be distributed as follows:  From January 1, 1987, through June 30, 1989, one-half of the fee shall be deposited in the centennial commission account of the general fund, and the remainder shall be deposited in the motor vehicle fund.  Commencing July 1, 1989, the total one dollar per plate fee shall be deposited in the motor vehicle fund.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     A fleet shall qualify for centennial plates to be issued in consecutive order if available.  A fleet shall be defined for purposes of the RCW as a group of five vehicles or more registered in the same name and whose owner has been assigned a fleet identifier code by the department of licensing.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 27.60 RCW to read as follows:

          In support of centennial activities of the centennial commission, and as provided for in section 1 of this act, revenues shall be made available by appropriation to the centennial commission.  One-half of the moneys so provided shall be distributed to counties in the state for use by their respective county centennial commissions or committees.  Distribution of such moneys shall be made by the 1989 Washington centennial commission according to rules adopted by the commission.  The rules shall provide for distribution to the respective counties on the basis of the number of centennial plates issued to residents in those counties, with minimum amounts established to be distributed to those counties with small populations, regardless of the number of centennial plates issued.

          The remaining one-half of the moneys shall be used for funding projects deemed to be of state-wide significance by the centennial commission in accordance with rules adopted by the commission.

          This section shall expire on December 31, 1993.  Any funds remaining in the centennial commission account on that date shall revert to the general fund.

        Sec. 4.  Section 46.16.270, chapter 12, Laws of 1961 as last amended by section 7, chapter 169, Laws of 1975 1st ex. sess. and RCW 46.16.270 are each amended to read as follows:

          Upon the loss, defacement, or destruction of one or both of the vehicle license number plates issued for any vehicle where more than one plate was originally issued or where one or both have become so illegible or in such a condition as to be difficult to distinguish, or upon the owner's option, the owner of the vehicle shall make application for new vehicle license number plates upon a form furnished by the director, upon which form it shall be required that the owner, if appropriate and in addition to other requirements, make a complete statement as to the cause of the loss, defacement, or destruction of the original plate or plates, which statement shall be subscribed and sworn to before a notary public or other person authorized to certify to statements upon vehicle license applications.  Such application shall be filed with the director or ((his)) the director's authorized agent, accompanied by the certificate of license registration of the vehicle and a fee in the amount of ((four)) three dollars per plate, whereupon the director, or ((his)) the director's authorized agent, shall issue new vehicle license number plates to the applicant.  It shall be accompanied by a fee of two dollars ((for a new vehicle license number plate where only one was originally issued and one dollar)) for a new motorcycle license number plate.  In the event the director has issued license period tabs or a windshield emblem instead of vehicle license number plates, and upon the loss, defacement, or destruction of ((said)) the tabs or windshield emblem, application shall be made on a form provided by the director and in the same manner as above described, and shall be accompanied by a fee of one dollar for each pair of tabs or for each windshield emblem, whereupon the director shall issue to the applicant a duplicate pair of tabs or a windshield emblem to replace those lost, defaced, or destroyed((:  PROVIDED, That)).  For those vehicles owned, rented, or leased by the state of Washington or by any county, city, town, school district, or other political subdivision of the state of Washington or United States government, a fee shall be charged for replacement of a vehicle license number plate only to the extent required by the provisions of RCW 46.16.020, 46.16.061, 46.16.237, and 46.01.140((:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That)).  For those vehicles owned, rented, or leased by foreign countries or international bodies to which the United States government is a signatory by treaty, the payment of any fee for the replacement of a vehicle license number plate shall not be required.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.  Section 1, chapter 72, Laws of 1983, section 1, chapter 62, Laws of 1984 and RCW 46.16.275 are each repealed.

                                                                                                                           Passed the Senate March 9, 1986.

                                                                                                                                       President of the Senate.

                                                                                                                           Passed the House March 4, 1986.

                                                                                                                                         Speaker of the House.