AN ACT Relating to creating the donate life special license plate;
Summary
SB 5524 creates a new Washington special license plate for Donate Life and amends the state’s special license plate statutes to add that plate to the list of approved designs. The bill defines a “Donate Life” license plate as a special plate displaying the Donate Life logo and authorizes it to be issued under the state’s existing special plate framework. Like other special plates, purchasers would pay the standard vehicle registration fees plus the special plate fee established by law.
The bill also fits the Donate Life plate into Washington’s special-plate administration and funding structure. It directs the Department of Licensing to collect the plate fees, retain a limited amount for administrative costs, and deposit the remaining proceeds into the appropriate account until implementation costs are recovered. After that, the funds are credited to the designated account for use according to the bill’s conditions. The measure does not create a new program outside the special-plate system; instead, it adds another cause-based plate to an existing statutory list that already includes many nonprofit, public-interest, and affinity plates.
Impact
SB 5524 would amend Washington’s vehicle licensing laws in chapter 46.16 RCW by adding the Donate Life special license plate to the state’s authorized special plate series and by creating a new statutory definition for that plate. It would also operate within the existing fee, collection, and distribution rules for special plates, affecting the Department of Licensing, vehicle owners who choose the plate, and the nonprofit or state account designated to receive net proceeds.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript, recorded votes, or formal opposition in the materials provided, so there is no documented debate to gauge. Based on the bill’s subject matter and structure, the measure appears to be a straightforward, supportive proposal intended to promote organ donation awareness through a specialty plate rather than a controversial policy change.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential issues that sometimes arise with special-plate bills—such as administrative costs, whether the plate should be added to an already large special-plate program, and how much of the fee should go to program administration versus the beneficiary account—are addressed in the bill’s fee and distribution provisions, but no opposing arguments are recorded here.