RBAW Report for March

RBAW Report for March

Update on Legislative Issues

   The Derelict Vessel Removal Program bill (SB 5598) that redirects 25% of our Watercraft Excise Taxes we pay each year from the general fund into supporting the DVRP, passed unanimously out of the Senate Ag, Water, Natural Resources and Parks committee and is now in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. The House companion bill (HB 1700) passed unanimously off the House floor (almost unheard of) and has been sent to the Senate. This is good news and looks promising for adding about $7.5 million to the DVRP in the coming biennium. Stay tuned.

   The mandatory wearing of a PFD for kayakers, stand up paddleboarders and canoers (HB 1707) is up for a second reading. As of this writing it has not been assigned a date for a House Floor Calendar spot for a vote. RBAW supports this bill as written with a narrow crafting of terms that were written and approved by consensus in the State Parks Boating Advisory Council that included RBAW Treasurer Loyd Walker. There are still some mixed feelings over a mandatory wearing of a PFD so the odds of it getting all of the way through the Legislature are somewhat up in the air.

   The request for $300,000 in the Governor’s operating budget (SB 5693/HB 1816) to provide education and awareness training on Lake Union to prevent conflicts between boaters and float planes using the lake, is now in the Senate Ways and Means committee. If passed, the money would be used to finance appropriate local or federal government agencies or non-profit organizations to do the outreach program. The money would come from marine safety grants administered by the Recreation & Conservation Office.

Watercraft Excise Tax Depreciation Schedule

The Dept. of Revenue confirmed receipt of a petition letter from RBAW and eight other entities challenging part of the DOR’s ruling making for the adverse impact it will have on vessels purchased 14 or more years ago by boat owners. The revised depreciation schedule showed an unsubstantiated increase in value for these older vessels that did not match researched data, a firm collated for RBAW, from the boat values given to the Dept. of Licensing. This data was submitted along with the letter. The DOR is required to respond to our petition letter by February 21.