Senator Kevin Ranker says it was not the intent of state legislature to pass on transaction fees to the consumer for its new Discover Pass.

“The conversation with the public and in the legislature was that $30 would grant any Washingtonian (or visitor) access to state parks and recreational lands,” Ranker said. “Recently, I was made aware that certain consumer outlets within our agencies have elected to pass additional transaction fees along to the consumer.

“Let me first be clear that this is not at all outlets. Washingtonians will be able to buy the pass at Department of Licensing facilities or at many popular state lands without any transaction fee for $30.

“But I must also be clear that the agency’s intention to add transaction fees to the final price of a Discover Pass was not something that they made clear during the legislative session. It was not the intent of the legislature for state agencies distributing the pass to pass on transaction fees to the consumer in an effort to defer their own costs. The intent was for those agencies to absorb those costs.

“If the agency planned to pass these costs on to the consumer, making the final actual cost $35 instead of $30, they should have been clear about this during the conversation with the public and the legislature.

“I plan to work closely with the agencies and my colleagues in the legislature over the coming months to address this matter.”