Senate passes Rep. Jeff Holy’s lifetime trailer registration bill

Senate passes Rep. Jeff Holy's lifetime trailer registration bill

The third time - or year - is the charm for a bill sponsored by Rep. Jeff Holy to provide one-time registration of trailers used infrequently for recreation in Washington state.

House Bill 1480 would provide lifetime registration for recreational trailers, allowing owners to pay $187.50 for registration one time, rather than $15 each year. If a trailer is sold, the new owner must obtain a new registration and license plate. The bill was amended in the House to exempt commercial trailers from the lifetime registration option. The Senate also adopted an amendment to allow trailers older than 30 years old to hold a collector's license plate.

"I'm pleased to see this proposal approved in the Senate and grateful for the partnerships established to get it passed," said Holy, R-Cheney. "This bill is about convenience for recreational trailer owners, but it also happens to provide a one-time windfall to the state transportation budget as people pay the lifetime registration fee."

The state is expecting to see an additional $13 million in the 2015-17 transportation budget as a result of the legislation.

Holy said the idea for the bill came from Rick Rydell, a resident of Spokane and radio host on KXLY.

"Rick made a logical argument for owners to pay registration for their trailers just once, as they use them so infrequently and don't contribute to the daily abuse on our roads," Holy said. "The state expects to a see a small uptick in the number of people who register their trailers that maybe hadn't in past years, so this is a good proposal all around. This is a perfect example of how the best ideas come from constituents, and how 'little' bills can make a big difference."

The bill passed the House unanimously earlier in the session. As a result of the changes made in the Senate, the proposal goes back to the House for concurrence. If the House agrees on the amendments, it will move on to the governor's desk for his signature in order to become law. If signed into law, the effective date would be Jan. 1, 2017.

For more information about Rep. Holy, visit: www.representativejeffholy.com.

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