SB 5636
In CommitteeSenate
Mt. St. Helens license plate
Creating Mount St. Helens special license plates.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill creates a new special license plate for Washington vehicles featuring an image of Mount St. Helens, with proceeds supporting education, stewardship, and science programs at the mountain through the Mount St. Helens Institute. It updates existing laws to include the new plate in the state’s special license plate program and specifies how fees are collected and distributed.
- Creates a new 'Mount St. Helens' special license plate featuring an image of the volcano, available as an alternative to standard or personalized plates.
- Sets an initial fee of $40 and a renewal fee of $30 for the Mount St. Helens plate, with administrative costs capped at $12 for initial issuance and $2 for renewals.
- Requires proceeds from the plate to be deposited into a dedicated account for the Mount St. Helens Institute, to support education, stewardship, and science programs at Mount St. Helens.
- Adds the Mount St. Helens plate to the list of approved special plates under RCW 46.18.200 and updates fee and fund distribution rules in RCW 46.17.220 and RCW 46.68.420.
- Defines the 'Mount St. Helens license plate' in new law (new section added to chapter 46.04 RCW) to clarify its official status.
Who is affected
- Mount St. Helens license plate applicants — Residents who want to purchase a special license plate featuring Mount St. Helens; they must pay an initial fee of $40 and a renewal fee of $30, with part of the fee going to support education, stewardship, and science at Mount St. Helens through the Mount St. Helens Institute.
- Mount St. Helens Institute — The Mount St. Helens Institute, which will receive proceeds from the sale of the license plates to fund education, stewardship, and science-related programs at Mount St. Helens.
- General public applying for special license plates — All Washington residents who purchase any special license plate, as the bill updates fee structures and fund distribution rules across multiple plate types, including the new Mount St. Helens plate.
- Washington State Department of Licensing — The Washington State Department of Licensing, which will administer collection of fees, deduct administrative costs, and disburse remaining funds to designated accounts per the bill’s requirements.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (5)
Dedicated funding for education, stewardship, and science programs at Mount St. Helens through the Mount St. Helens Institute will directly support K–12 field trips, teacher training, and youth STEM programming—especially valuable for schools in the Pacific Northwest with limited field trip budgets and limited access to live volcanic field sites.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 3(2), Mount St. Helens account purposeWhile not emergency-focused, the Institute’s science and stewardship programs may indirectly improve public safety by supporting volcano monitoring outreach, hazard communication, and community resilience education—e.g., teaching residents how to respond to ashfall or evacuation orders.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 3(2), Mount St. Helens account purposeStewardship funding can support habitat restoration, invasive species removal, and trail maintenance in the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument—areas that benefit public lands access and ecosystem health, which everyday Washingtonians rely on for recreation and clean water.
EnvironmentPeopleRef: Sec. 3(2), Mount St. Helens account purposeThe plate’s inclusion in the special plate program standardizes administration and reduces regulatory burden on the Department of Licensing, enabling consistent processing across counties—benefiting local licensing offices with limited staff and resources.
Local GovernmentPeopleRef: Sec. 1, adding Mount St. Helens plate to approved listBy codifying the plate in law and ensuring its official status, the bill protects against arbitrary removal or non-issuance—securing consumer confidence and equal access for any resident who wishes to purchase it, reinforcing procedural fairness in license plate issuance.
Rights & LibertiesPeopleRef: Sec. 4, definition of 'Mount St. Helens license plate'
Potential Concerns (5)
The $40 initial and $30 renewal fee creates a user-fee barrier for the plate, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income residents who may view it as discretionary spending rather than essential registration; while modest, the fee is higher than the base registration fee ($30–$45 depending on vehicle type), making it less accessible to everyday people with constrained transportation budgets.
FinancialPeopleRef: Sec. 2, Mount St. Helens plate fee schedule (line 15)Although administrative costs are capped, the deduction reduces the net proceeds available for the Mount St. Helens Institute; for a typical plate holder paying $30 annually, only $28 goes to the Institute—meaning administrative overhead consumes ~7% of renewal revenue, which could have gone to programs—this inefficiency slightly dilutes public benefit relative to the fee paid.
FinancialLean peopleRef: Sec. 3(1)(b), administrative cost deduction cap ($12 initial, $2 renewal)The bill does not allocate any funds toward emergency preparedness, volcanic hazard mitigation, or public safety infrastructure near the mountain—despite Mount St. Helens being an active volcano—so while education and stewardship are supported, direct public safety benefits are absent.
Public SafetyLean peopleRef: Sec. 3(2), Mount St. Helens account purposeThe funding supports education and science programs, but the bill does not require that these programs be accessible to low-income schools, rural communities, or underserved student populations; without targeted outreach or equity mandates, benefits may skew toward wealthier or more geographically proximate districts with existing STEM infrastructure.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 3(2), Mount St. Helens account purposeThe bill includes “stewardship” in the purpose, but does not define or measure ecological outcomes (e.g., habitat restoration, invasive species control), leaving the environmental impact ambiguous and potentially symbolic rather than substantive without performance metrics.
EnvironmentLean peopleRef: Sec. 3(2), Mount St. Helens account purpose
Who Is Most Affected
Residents who purchase the plate pay a $40/$30 fee and gain a symbolic product; while most benefit from civic pride and support for local science, low-income households may find the fee burdensome relative to other transportation costs.
The Institute gains dedicated, predictable funding for education, science, and stewardship—potentially expanding programs and staffing—but must operate under contractual accountability and reporting requirements tied to fund disbursement conditions.
All special plate applicants benefit from standardized fee structures and administrative caps, but those who do not choose the Mount St. Helens plate see no direct gain—impact is neutral for most, slightly positive for those who value civic identity or environmental advocacy.
The Department of Licensing gains administrative clarity and a new plate to manage, but must track and report on fee collections and disbursements—adding minimal overhead but no new burden beyond existing special plate protocols.
Public schools and students in the Mount St. Helens region or underserved areas may benefit from new STEM field trips, teacher grants, or curriculum support—if the Institute prioritizes equity in program design.