House passes Rep. Liz Pike’s quick title bill. . . again!

 House passes Rep. Liz Pike's quick title bill. . . again!

For the second time this year, the Washington House of Representatives has passed Rep. Liz Pike's bill that would allow licensing subagents to keep a portion of fees collected when a "quick title" is issued. The vote was 88-1.

A quick title is a certificate of ownership for a vehicle or boat that a citizen can get immediately, as opposed to a standard title, which can take several weeks to arrive from the Department of Licensing (DOL) in the mail.

"This is a measure that was brought to me by Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey and supported by the Washington State Association of County Auditors," said Pike, R-Camas. "Subagents are private businesses contracted by a county auditor and appointed by DOL to perform title and licensing services. They may process quick title applications, but they have not been allowed to retain any of the quick title fees. My legislation would allow them be compensated for their additional work."

Under current law, the charge for a quick title is $50, with $25 distributed to the county auditor and $25 to DOL for the state's Motor Vehicle Fund. Under House Bill 1157, the fee would remain the same. However, $12.50 would be distributed to subagents and $12.50 would go to the county auditor. The remaining $25 of the fee would continue to go to the state's Motor Vehicle Fund.

"This is not an additional cost to citizens. It's just a reallocation of the existing fees," said Pike. "Quick titles take about 20 minutes to process. It is only fair that the subagents are compensated for their work. The legislation is supported by county auditors across the state."

There are 23 county auditors and other agents and 63 subagents that provide quick title services.

The measure originally passed the House on Feb. 19 with a unanimous vote. It was referred to the Senate Transportation Committee, but did not advance before the end of the regular session. Under legislative rules, at the end of a session, bills that do not advance are returned to their highest order in their house of origin. House Bill 1157 was returned to the House Rules Committee. It now goes to the Senate, once again, for consideration.

For more information about Rep. Pike, visit: www.representativelizpike.com.

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PHOTO: Speaking Thursday on the floor of the state House of Representatives, Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas, asks for passage of House Bill 1157, which would allow licensing subagents to keep a portion of quick title fees as compensation for processing the applications. The measure passed the House 88-1.

Photo courtesy of Washington House of Representatives.

Rep. Pike's media: