H-2028.1          _______________________________________________

 

                            SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1317

                  _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

 

By House Committee on Revenue (originally sponsored by Representatives Silver, Morris, Holland, Fraser, Mielke, Spanel, Edmondson, Lisk, Morton, Paris, Hochstatter, Nealey, Wynne, Cooper, Bowman, D. Sommers, Miller, Ballard and Mitchell).

 

Read first time February 28, 1991. 

Clarifying the tax exemption for medically prescribed oxygen.


     AN ACT Relating to tax exemptions for oxygen; amending RCW 82.08.0283 and 82.12.0277; and creating a new section.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.      (1) The legislature finds:

     (a) The existing state policy is to exempt medical oxygen from sales and use tax.

     (b) The technology for supplying medical oxygen has changed substantially in recent years.  Many consumers of medical oxygen purchase or rent equipment that supplies oxygen rather than purchasing oxygen in gaseous form.

     (2) The intent of this act is to bring sales and rental of individual oxygen systems within the existing exemption for medical oxygen, without expanding the essence of the original policy decision that medical oxygen should be exempt from sales and use tax.

 

     Sec. 2.  RCW 82.08.0283 and 1986 c 255 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

     The tax levied by RCW 82.08.020 shall not apply to sales of insulin; prosthetic and orthotic devices prescribed for an individual by a person licensed under chapters 18.25, 18.57, or 18.71 RCW or dispensed or fitted by a person licensed under chapter 18.35 RCW; ostomic items; and medically prescribed oxygen.  For the purposes of this section, "medically prescribed oxygen" includes, but is not limited to, sale or rental of oxygen concentrator systems, oxygen enricher systems, liquid oxygen systems, and gaseous, bottled oxygen systems to an individual under a prescription issued by a person licensed under chapter 18.57 or 18.71 RCW for use in the medical treatment of that individual.

 

     Sec. 3.  RCW 82.12.0277 and 1986 c 255 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

     The provisions of this chapter shall not apply in respect to the use of insulin; prosthetic and orthotic devices prescribed for an individual by a person licensed under chapters 18.25, 18.57, or 18.71 RCW or dispensed or fitted by a person licensed under chapter 18.35 RCW; ostomic items; and medically prescribed oxygen.  For the purposes of this section, "medically prescribed oxygen" includes, but is not limited to, sale or rental of oxygen concentrator systems, oxygen enricher systems, liquid oxygen systems, and gaseous, bottled oxygen systems to an individual under a prescription issued by a person licensed under chapter 18.57 or 18.71 RCW for use in the medical treatment of that individual.