AN ACT Relating to advancing transportation electrification by expanding access to electric vehicles already being sold in Washington and increasing associated funding;
Summary
SB 6354 is a transportation electrification bill that expands access to electric vehicles already being sold in Washington and creates a new funding stream to support EV affordability. The bill directs the Department of Licensing, in coordination with the interagency electric vehicle coordinating council, to develop and implement an instant-rebate program that lowers the purchase or lease cost of electric vehicles for eligible individuals in vulnerable populations. It also changes vehicle-title fee distributions so that a portion of those fees is deposited into an electric vehicle account for the rebate program, with the remainder going to the multimodal transportation account.
The bill also makes a series of changes to Washington’s motor vehicle dealer and manufacturer laws. It amends provisions governing manufacturer conduct toward dealers, including restrictions on discriminatory pricing, allocation practices, coercion, facility requirements, and manufacturer ownership or operation of dealerships, while creating and clarifying exemptions for certain manufacturers and business arrangements, including a specific exemption framework for qualifying battery-electric vehicle manufacturers. It further updates dealer licensing and enforcement provisions, including penalties for violations and rules for when licenses may be denied, suspended, or revoked.
Impact
SB 6354 amends multiple sections of Washington’s motor vehicle dealer/franchise statutes in Title 46 RCW and adds a new section creating an EV instant-rebate program. The bill affects the Department of Licensing, vehicle manufacturers, franchised dealers, and qualifying EV manufacturers by tightening or clarifying rules on dealership ownership, warranty service, pricing, allocation, and licensing, while also creating a new electric vehicle account funded in part by title-fee revenue. It also establishes civil and misdemeanor enforcement consequences for violations and authorizes private parties to seek relief in some circumstances.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad overall support, passing the Senate and House with comfortable margins and no recorded committee opposition in the House committee vote. The final votes suggest bipartisan acceptance of the bill’s EV affordability goals and its regulatory changes to the auto retail market. At the same time, the narrower vote margins in the Senate committee and Senate final passage indicate that some members had reservations, likely tied to the bill’s treatment of manufacturer-dealer relationships and the special exemptions for certain EV manufacturers.
Contention
The main points of contention are likely the bill’s restrictions on manufacturer control of dealerships and its targeted exemptions for qualifying battery-electric vehicle manufacturers. Traditional franchise dealers and dealer advocates would likely support the anti-discrimination and anti-coercion provisions, while some manufacturers—especially direct-to-consumer EV companies—would be concerned about limits on dealership ownership, service operations, and market participation. Another likely issue is the funding mechanism, since the bill redirects a portion of vehicle title-fee revenue to the new EV rebate account, which may raise concerns about fee use and transportation funding priorities.
AN ACT Relating to supporting the servicing and right to repair of certain products with digital electronics in a secure and reliable manner to increase access and affordability for Washingtonians;