Z-0438.1
HOUSE BILL 1894
State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session
By Representatives Walen, Street, Reed, and Reeves; by request of
Department of Revenue
Prefiled 12/06/23. Read first time 01/08/24. Referred to Committee
on Finance.
1 AN ACT Relating to nontax statutes administered by the department
2 of revenue modifying provisions of the business licensing service
3 program concerning fee change notice requirements, the administration
4 of the business license account balance, and the handling fee
5 exemption for the local government nonresident business license
6 endorsement; and amending RCW 19.02.075 and 35.90.070.
7 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
8 Sec. 1. RCW 19.02.075 and 2020 c 164 s 1 are each amended to
9 read as follows:
10 (1)(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, the
11 department must collect a handling fee on each business license
12 application and each renewal application filing. The department must
13 set the amount of the handling fees by rule, as authorized by RCW
14 19.02.030. The handling fees may not exceed ((ninety dollars)) $90
15 for each business license application filed by any person to open or
16 reopen a business, ((ten dollars)) $10 for each business license
17 renewal application filing, and ((nineteen dollars)) $19 for each
18 business license application filed for any other purpose. Handling
19 fees collected under this section must be deposited in the business
20 license account created under RCW 19.02.210.
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 1 (b) No handling fee is collected on a business license
2 application filed by an existing business for the following purposes:
3 (i) To open an additional location; or
4 (ii) To obtain a local government's nonresident ((city)) business
5 license endorsement.
6 (2) The department may increase all handling fees within the
7 limits provided in this section for the purposes of defraying the
8 department's costs associated with the administration of this
9 chapter, including making improvements in the business licensing
10 service program, such as improvements in technology and customer
11 services, expanded access, and infrastructure.
12 (3) Annually, by the last day of September, beginning September
13 30, ((2023)) 2024, the department must review the business license
14 account balance ((at the end of the previous fiscal year)). If the
15 balance in the account ((exceeds one million dollars)) at the end of
16 the previous fiscal year exceeds an amount equal to the average of
17 three months of monthly expenditures from the business license
18 account during the previous fiscal year, or the department projects
19 that the balance in the business license account at the end of the
20 current fiscal year will exceed ((one million dollars at the end of
21 the current fiscal year)) an amount equal to the average of three
22 months of monthly expenditures from the business license account
23 during the previous fiscal year, the department must reduce one or
24 more of the handling fees authorized in subsection (1) of this
25 section. Handling fees must be reduced under this subsection (3) to
26 the extent the department determines necessary to result in a balance
27 in the business license account at the end of the fiscal year
28 following the current fiscal year, as projected by the department, of
29 no more than ((one million dollars at the end of the next fiscal year
30 as projected by the department)) an amount equal to the average of
31 three months of monthly expenditures from the business license
32 account during the previous fiscal year. This subsection (3) does not
33 require the department to reduce handling fees more than once in any
34 fiscal year.
35 (4) In increasing or decreasing any fee under this section, the
36 department may round the adjusted fee to the nearest whole dollar
37 that does not exceed the dollar limits in subsection (1) of this
38 section.
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 1 Sec. 2. RCW 35.90.070 and 2017 c 209 s 7 are each amended to
2 read as follows:
3 ((A)) (1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, a
4 general business license change enacted by a city whose general
5 business license is issued through the business licensing system
6 takes effect no sooner than ((seventy-five)) 75 days after the
7 department receives notice of the change if the change affects in any
8 way who must obtain a license, who is exempt from obtaining a
9 license, or the ((amount or)) method of determining any fee for the
10 issuance or renewal of a license.
11 (2) If a general business license change enacted by a city whose
12 general business license is issued through the business licensing
13 system only affects the amount of the fee for the issuance or renewal
14 of the license, the change takes effect no sooner than 10 business
15 days after the department receives notice of the change.
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Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 19.02.075, 35.90.070