This bill amends RCW 82.80.140 to change how transportation benefit districts may impose an annual vehicle fee. It authorizes a district to levy an annual fee up to $100 per vehicle for vehicles subject to certain vehicle license or gross weight license fees with a scale weight of 10,000 pounds or less, and also establishes a tiered option for a district that includes all territory of the establishing jurisdiction(s) to impose up to $20 initially, $40 after the $20 has been in place at least 24 months, or $50 after the $40 has been in place at least 24 months and the district meets the requirements of RCW 36.73.065(6). The amendment imposes procedural and distribution rules: a countywide district’s fee revenues must be distributed to cities by an interlocal agreement that becomes effective when approved by the district and by 60 percent of the cities representing 75 percent of the cities’ population in the area where the fee is collected; no fee for a passenger-only ferry improvement may be imposed unless a majority of district voters approve the vehicle fee; a district may not impose a fee that would cause combined fees (with fees previously imposed under RCW 36.73.065(4)(a)(i) by another district) to exceed $50 and must provide a credit so combined fees do not exceed $50. Administration, timing, and exemptions are adjusted: the Department of Licensing administers and collects the fee, may deduct up to 1 percent of collections for administration under contract, remits proceeds to the state treasurer who distributes them monthly to the district, no fee may be collected until six months after approval under RCW 36.73.065, the fee applies only at vehicle registration renewal and is effective on the renewal date, and specified vehicle types are exempt with those definitions referenced in other RCWs. The extracted text only shows changes to RCW 82.80.140; other sections, full definitions, effective date, and any additional provisions of the bill are not included here and are therefore uncertain.

If enacted, transportation benefit districts would have a clearer, expanded way to raise money from vehicle owners inside their borders: eligible light vehicles (10,000 pounds scale weight or less) could be charged an annual fee collected at registration renewal, with collection handled by the Department of Licensing (which may keep up to 1 percent for administration) and monthly distributions sent by the state treasurer. That would give districts more predictable local revenue but also imposes limits and conditions that shape how quickly and how much they can raise — districts covering their entire jurisdiction face staged caps on increases ($20, then $40 after 24 months, then $50 after another 24 months if certain requirements are met), overlapping district fees are capped so combined charges cannot exceed $50 (with credits required if they would), passenger-only ferry improvements would require voter approval, and some vehicle types are exempt. The people most affected are transportation benefit districts (more revenue options but new procedural limits), cities in countywide districts (they must negotiate interlocal agreements to receive their share, which must meet specific city-approval thresholds), the Department of Licensing and state treasurer (new collection and distribution duties and modest administrative compensation), and vehicle owners in those districts (likely higher renewal costs for eligible vehicles). Important implementation details — including exact definitions and procedural steps tied to other RCWs and any effective date — are referenced but not included here, so the timing and some operational specifics remain unclear.