(1) The department may develop and administer a voluntary vessel turn-in program.

(2) The purpose of the vessel turn-in program is to allow the department to dismantle and dispose of vessels that pose a high risk of becoming a derelict vessel or abandoned vessel, but that do not yet meet the definition of those terms. The department shall design the program with the goal of dismantling and disposing of as many vessels as available resources allow, particularly those vessels posing the greatest risk of becoming abandoned or derelict in the future.

(3) The department shall disseminate information about the vessel turn-in program, including information about the application process, on its internet site and through appropriate agency publications and information sources as determined by the department. The department shall disseminate this information for a reasonable time as determined by the department prior to accepting applications.

(4) The department shall accept and review vessel turn-in program applications from eligible vessel owners, including private marinas that have gained legal title to a vessel in an advanced state of disrepair, during the time period or periods identified by the department. In order to be eligible for the vessel turn-in program, an applicant must demonstrate to the department’s satisfaction that the applicant:

(a) Is a Washington resident or business;

(b) Owns a vessel that is in an advanced state of disrepair, has minimal or no value, and has a high likelihood of becoming an abandoned or derelict vessel; and

(c) Has insufficient resources to properly dispose of the vessel outside of the vessel turn-in program.

(5) Decisions regarding program eligibility and whether to accept a vessel for dismantling and disposal under the turn-in program are within the sole discretion of the department.

(6) The department may take other actions not inconsistent with this section in order to develop and administer the vessel turn-in program.

Findings—2020 c 324: “The legislature finds that the derelict vessel removal program has been an extremely effective and successful tool since its inception in 2003, but recognizes that derelict vessels continue to be a critical problem for the waters of the state. Derelict vessels generate costs to taxpayers, impede the recreational enjoyment of waters, pose navigational safety hazards, and contaminate the environment, thereby impacting the health of Puget Sound and the habitat of imperiled species such as salmon and orcas. Every year, more vessels are reported to the derelict vessel removal program than can be removed. The legislature finds that improvements to the derelict vessel removal program statutes are needed to help address this problem.

Therefore, in order to increase the effectiveness of the derelict vessel removal program, the legislature proposes a suite of prevention and enforcement measures intended to decrease the number of vessels that become derelict and to provide the derelict vessel removal program with more tools to manage those that are currently derelict. These measures are intended to decrease costs to taxpayers and protect the environment by removing high risk boats from the waters of the state before they become derelict, and by expanding enforcement of existing aquatic regulations as they relate to enforcement of the derelict vessel statutes.” [ 2020 c 324 § 1.]