Discover pass, day-use cost

AN ACT Relating to updating the cost of the discover pass and 1
day-use permits; amending RCW 79A.80.020 and 79A.80.030; and creating 2
a new section. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that both visitors 5
and residents of Washington state enjoy the opportunity to recreate 6
and experience the beauty of state-owned public lands, like state 7
parks. The legislature also finds that the costs to provide access to 8
these lands has been successfully supported by user-based recreation 9
fees and that the costs of continued support and access has outpaced 10
the revenue generated by fees. The discover pass and day-use permits 11
that are used to gain access to state-owned lands have been in place 12
since 2011, and the cost for the discover pass and permits has not 13
changed since then. However, the costs to maintain recreational 14
access have steadily increased. The original legislation anticipated 15
the potential need to consider adjustment in the cost of both the 16
discover pass and day-use permits. The legislature intends to 17
maintain recreational access for all by updating the cost of the 18
discover pass and day-use permits commensurate with the inflationary 19
costs to carry out state recreational programs.20
H-1253.1
HOUSE BILL 1914
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Doglio, Fitzgibbon, Ormsby, Parshley, and Macri
Read first time 02/10/25. Referred to Committee on Appropriations.
p. 1 HB 1914
Sec. 2. RCW 79A.80.020 and 2017 c 121 s 1 are each amended to 1
read as follows: 2
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a discover pass 3
is required for any motor vehicle to: 4
(a) Park at any recreation site or lands; or 5
(b) Operate on any recreation site or lands. 6
(2) Except as provided in RCW 79A.80.110, the cost of a discover 7
pass is ((thirty dollars )) $45. Every four years the office of 8
financial management must review the cost of the discover pass and, 9
if necessary, recommend to the legislature an adjustment to the cost 10
of the discover pass to account for inflation. 11
(3) A discover pass is valid for one year beginning from the date 12
that the discover pass is marked for activation. The activation date 13
may differ from the purchase date pursuant to any policies developed 14
by the agencies. 15
(4) Sales of discover passes must be consistent with RCW 16
79A.80.100. 17
(5) The discover pass must contain space for two motor vehicle 18
license plate numbers. A discover pass is valid only for those 19
vehicle license plate numbers written on the pass. However, the 20
agencies may offer for sale a family discover pass that is fully 21
transferable among vehicles and does not require the placement of a 22
license plate number on the pass to be valid. The agencies must 23
collectively set a price for the sale of a family discover pass that 24
is no more than ((fifty dollars)) $50. A discover pass is valid only 25
for use with one motor vehicle at any one time. 26
(6)(a) One complimentary discover pass must be provided to a 27
volunteer who performed ((twenty-four)) 24 hours of service on 28
agency-sanctioned volunteer projects in a year. The agency must 29
provide vouchers to volunteers identifying the number of volunteer 30
hours they have provided for each project. The vouchers may be 31
brought to an agency to be redeemed for a discover pass.32
(b) Married spouses under chapter 26.04 RCW may present an agency 33
with combined vouchers demonstrating the collective performance of 34
((twenty-four)) 24 hours of service on agency-sanctioned volunteer 35
projects in a year to be redeemed for a single complimentary discover 36
pass. 37
Sec. 3. RCW 79A.80.030 and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 15 s 2 are each 38
amended to read as follows: 39
p. 2 HB 1914
(1) A person may purchase a day-use permit to meet the 1
requirements of RCW 79A.80.080. Except as provided in RCW 79A.80.110, 2
a day-use permit is ((ten dollars)) $15 per day and must be available 3
for purchase from each agency. A day-use permit is valid for one 4
calendar day. 5
(2) The agencies may provide short-term parking under RCW 6
79A.80.070 where a day-use permit is not required. 7
(3) Every four years the office of financial management must 8
review the cost of the day-use permit and, if necessary, recommend to 9
the legislature an adjustment to the cost of the day-use permit to 10
account for inflation. 11
(4) Sales of day-use permits must be consistent with RCW 12
79A.80.100. 13
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p. 3 HB 1914