H-0246.1

HOUSE BILL 1070

ByRepresentatives Ryu, Macri, Walen, Chopp, Santos, Fitzgibbon, Ramel, Wylie, Ramos, Bateman, Tharinger, Simmons, Kloba, Peterson, Gregerson, Goodman, Sells, Bronoske, Valdez, Callan, Hackney, Cody, Ormsby, Riccelli, Springer, Fey, Davis, Pollet, and Harris-Talley

AN ACT Relating to modifying allowed uses of local tax revenue for affordable housing and related services to include the acquisition and construction of affordable housing and facilities; amending RCW 82.14.530 and 67.28.180; and declaring an emergency.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 82.14.530 and 2020 c 222 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1)(a)(i) A county legislative authority may submit an authorizing proposition to the county voters at a special or general election and, if the proposition is approved by a majority of persons voting, impose a sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this chapter. The title of each ballot measure must clearly state the purposes for which the proposed sales and use tax will be used. The rate of tax under this section may not exceed one-tenth of one percent of the selling price in the case of a sales tax, or value of the article used, in the case of a use tax.

(ii) As an alternative to the authority provided in (a)(i) of this subsection, a county legislative authority may impose, without a proposition approved by a majority of persons voting, a sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this chapter. The rate of tax under this section may not exceed one-tenth of one percent of the selling price in the case of a sales tax, or value of the article used, in the case of a use tax.

(b)(i) If a county does not impose the full tax rate authorized under (a) of this subsection by September 30, 2020, any city legislative authority located in that county may:

(A) Submit an authorizing proposition to the city voters at a special or general election and, if the proposition is approved by a majority of persons voting, impose the whole or remainder of the sales and use tax rate in accordance with the terms of this chapter. The title of each ballot measure must clearly state the purposes for which the proposed sales and use tax will be used; or

(B) Impose, without a proposition approved by a majority of persons voting, the whole or remainder of the sales and use tax rate in accordance with the terms of this chapter.

(ii) The rate of tax under this section may not exceed one-tenth of one percent of the selling price in the case of a sales tax, or value of the article used, in the case of a use tax.

(iii) A county with a population of greater than one million five hundred thousand may impose the tax authorized under (a)(ii) of this subsection only if the county plans to spend at least thirty percent of the moneys collected under this section that are attributable to taxable activities or events within any city with a population greater than sixty thousand located in that county within that city's boundaries.

(c) If a county imposes a tax authorized under (a) of this subsection after a city located in that county has imposed the tax authorized under (b) of this subsection, the county must provide a credit against its tax for the full amount of tax imposed by a city.

(d) The taxes authorized in this subsection are in addition to any other taxes authorized by law and must be collected from persons who are taxable by the state under chapters 82.08 and 82.12 RCW upon the occurrence of any taxable event within the county for a county's tax and within a city for a city's tax.

(2)(a) Notwithstanding subsection (4) of this section, a minimum of sixty percent of the moneys collected under this section must be used for the following purposes:

(i) Constructing or acquiring affordable housing, which may include emergency, transitional, and supportive housing and new units of affordable housing within an existing structure, and facilities providing housing-related services; or

(ii) Constructing ((mental and)) behavioral health-related facilities; or

(iii) Funding the operations and maintenance costs of new units of affordable housing and facilities where housing-related programs are provided, or newly constructed evaluation and treatment centers.

(b) The affordable housing and facilities providing housing-related programs in (a)(i) of this subsection may only be provided to persons within any of the following population groups whose income is at or below sixty percent of the median income of the county imposing the tax:

(i) Persons with behavioral health disabilities;

(ii) Veterans;

(iii) Senior citizens;

(iv) ((Homeless,))Persons who are homeless or at-risk of being homeless((, families with children));

(v) Unaccompanied homeless youth or young adults;

(vi) Persons with disabilities; or

(vii) Domestic violence survivors.

(c) The remainder of the moneys collected under this section must be used for the operation, delivery, or evaluation of ((mental and)) behavioral health treatment programs and services or housing-related services.

(3) A county that imposes the tax under this section must consult with a city before the county may construct any of the facilities authorized under subsection (2)(a) of this section within the city limits.

(4) A county that has not imposed the tax authorized under RCW 82.14.460 prior to October 9, 2015, but imposes the tax authorized under this section after a city in that county has imposed the tax authorized under RCW 82.14.460 prior to October 9, 2015, must enter into an interlocal agreement with that city to determine how the services and provisions described in subsection (2) of this section will be allocated and funded in the city.

(5) To carry out the purposes of subsection (2)(a) and (b) of this section, the legislative authority of the county or city imposing the tax has the authority to issue general obligation or revenue bonds within the limitations now or hereafter prescribed by the laws of this state, and may use, and is authorized to pledge, up to fifty percent of the moneys collected under this section for repayment of such bonds, in order to finance the provision or construction of affordable housing, facilities where housing-related programs are provided, or evaluation and treatment centers described in subsection (2)(a)(iii) of this section.

(6)(a) Moneys collected under this section may be used to offset reductions in state or federal funds for the purposes described in subsection (2) of this section.

(b) No more than ten percent of the moneys collected under this section may be used to supplant existing local funds.

Sec. 2. RCW 67.28.180 and 2015 c 102 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Subject to the conditions set forth in subsections (2) and (3) of this section, the legislative body of any county or any city, is authorized to levy and collect a special excise tax of not to exceed two percent on the sale of or charge made for the furnishing of lodging that is subject to tax under chapter 82.08 RCW.

(2) Any levy authorized by this section is subject to the following:

(a) Any county ordinance or resolution adopted pursuant to this section must contain, in addition to all other provisions required to conform to this chapter, a provision allowing a credit against the county tax for the full amount of any city tax imposed pursuant to this section upon the same taxable event.

(b)(i) In the event that any county has levied the tax authorized by this section and has, prior to June 26, 1975, either pledged the tax revenues for payment of principal and interest on city revenue or general obligation bonds authorized and issued pursuant to RCW 67.28.150 ((through [and]))and 67.28.160 or has authorized and issued revenue or general obligation bonds pursuant to the provisions of RCW 67.28.150 ((through [and]))and 67.28.160, such county is exempt from the provisions of (a) of this subsection, to the extent that the tax revenues are pledged for payment of principal and interest on bonds issued at any time pursuant to the provisions of RCW 67.28.150 ((through [and]))and 67.28.160. However, so much of such pledged tax revenues, together with any investment earnings thereon, not immediately necessary for actual payment of principal and interest on such bonds may be used: (A) In any county with a population of one million five hundred thousand or more, for repayment either of limited tax levy general obligation bonds or of any county fund or account from which a loan was made, the proceeds from the bonds or loan being used to pay for constructing, installing, improving, and equipping stadium capital improvement projects, and to pay for any engineering, planning, financial, legal and professional services incident to the development of such stadium capital improvement projects, regardless of the date the debt for such capital improvement projects was or may be incurred; (B) in any county with a population of one million five hundred thousand or more, for repayment or refinancing of bonded indebtedness incurred prior to January 1, 1997, for any purpose authorized by this section or relating to stadium repairs or rehabilitation, including but not limited to the cost of settling legal claims, reimbursing operating funds, interest payments on short-term loans, and any other purpose for which such debt has been incurred if the county has created a public stadium authority to develop a stadium and exhibition center under RCW 36.102.030; or (C) in other counties, for county-owned facilities for agricultural promotion until January 1, 2009, and thereafter for any purpose authorized in this chapter.

(ii) A county is exempt under this subsection with respect to city revenue or general obligation bonds issued after April 1, 1991, only if such bonds mature before January 1, 2013. If any county located east of the crest of the Cascade mountains has levied the tax authorized by this section and has, prior to June 26, 1975, pledged the tax revenue for payment of principal and interest on city revenue or general obligation bonds, the county is exempt under this subsection with respect to revenue or general obligation bonds issued after January 1, 2007, only if the bonds mature before January 1, 2035. Such a county may only use funds under this subsection (2)(b) for constructing or improving facilities authorized under this chapter, including county-owned facilities for agricultural promotion.

(iii) As used in this subsection (2)(b), "capital improvement projects" may include, but not be limited to a stadium restaurant facility, restroom facilities, artificial turf system, seating facilities, parking facilities and scoreboard and information system adjacent to or within a county owned stadium, together with equipment, utilities, accessories and appurtenances necessary thereto. The stadium restaurant authorized by this subsection (2)(b) must be operated by a private concessionaire under a contract with the county.

(c)(i) No city within a county exempt under (b) of this subsection may levy the tax authorized by this section so long as said county is so exempt.

(ii) No city within a county with a population of one million five hundred thousand or more may levy the tax authorized by this section.

(iii) However, in the event that any city in a county described in (c)(i) or (ii) of this subsection (2) has levied the tax authorized by this section and has, prior to June 26, 1975, authorized and issued revenue or general obligation bonds pursuant to the provisions of RCW 67.28.150 ((through [and]))and 67.28.160, such city may levy the tax so long as the tax revenues are pledged for payment of principal and interest on bonds issued at any time pursuant to the provisions of RCW 67.28.150 ((through [and]))and 67.28.160.

(3) Any levy authorized by this section by a county that has a population of one million five hundred thousand or more is subject to the following:

(a) Taxes collected under this section in any calendar year before 2013 in excess of five million three hundred thousand dollars may only be used as follows:

(i) Seventy percent from January 1, 2001, through December 31, 2012, for art museums, cultural museums, heritage museums, the arts, and the performing arts. Moneys spent under this subsection (3)(a)(i) must be used for the purposes of this subsection (3)(a)(i) in all parts of the county.

(ii) Thirty percent from January 1, 2001, through December 31, 2012, for the following purposes and in a manner reflecting the following order of priority: Stadium purposes as authorized under subsection (2)(b) of this section; acquisition of open space lands; youth sports activities; and tourism promotion. If all or part of the debt on the stadium is refinanced, all revenues under this subsection (3)(a)(ii) must be used to retire the debt.

(b) From January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2015, all revenues under this section must be used to retire the debt on the stadium, until the debt on the stadium is retired. On and after the date the debt on the stadium is retired, and through December 31, 2015, all revenues under this section in a county of one million five hundred thousand or more must be deposited in the special account under (e) of this subsection.

(c) From January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2020, all revenues under this section must be deposited in the stadium and exhibition center account under RCW 43.99N.060.

(d) On and after January 1, 2021, the revenues under this section must be used as follows:

(i) At least thirty-seven and one-half percent of the revenues under this section must be deposited in the special account under (e) of this subsection.

(ii) At least thirty-seven and one-half percent of the revenues under this section must be used:

(A) For contracts, loans, or grants to nonprofit organizations or public housing authorities for affordable workforce housing within one-half mile of a transit station, as described under RCW 9.91.025 or for housing, facilities, or services for homeless youth; or

(B) To repay:

(I) General obligation bonds issued pursuant to RCW 67.28.150 to finance such contracts, loans, or grants; or

(II) Revenue bonds issued pursuant to RCW 67.28.160 to finance a fund to make such contracts, loans, or grants; or

(III) Revenue bonds issued pursuant to RCW 67.28.160 to finance projects authorized by an authority under chapter 43.167 RCW to promote sustainable workplace opportunities near a community impacted by the construction or operation of tourism-related facilities.

(iii) The remainder must be used for capital or operating programs that promote tourism and attract tourists to the county.

(e) At least forty percent of the revenues distributed pursuant to (a)(i) of this subsection must be deposited in a special account. The account may only be used for the purposes of (a)(i) of this subsection.

(f) School districts and schools may not receive revenues distributed pursuant to (a)(i) of this subsection.

(g) Moneys distributed to art museums, cultural museums, heritage museums, the arts, and the performing arts, and moneys distributed for tourism promotion must be in addition to and may not be used to replace or supplant any other funding by the legislative body of the county.

(h) For the purposes of this section:

(i) "Affordable workforce housing" means housing for a single person, family, or unrelated persons living together whose income is ((between thirty percent and eighty))at or below 80 percent of the median income, adjusted for household size, for the county where the housing is located; and

(ii) "Tourism promotion" includes activities intended to attract visitors for overnight stays, arts, heritage, and cultural events, and recreational, professional, and amateur sports events. Moneys allocated to tourism promotion in a county with a population of one million or more must be allocated to local public organizations and nonprofit organizations formed for the express purpose of tourism promotion in the county. Such organizations must use moneys from the taxes to promote events in all parts of the county.

(i) No taxes collected under this section may be used for the operation or maintenance of a public stadium that is financed directly or indirectly by bonds to which the tax is pledged. Expenditures for operation or maintenance include all expenditures other than expenditures that directly result in new fixed assets or that directly increase the capacity, life span, or operating economy of existing fixed assets.

(j) No ad valorem property taxes may be used for debt service on bonds issued for a public stadium that is financed by bonds to which the tax is pledged, unless the taxes collected under this section are or are projected to be insufficient to meet debt service requirements on such bonds.

(k) If a substantial part of the operation and management of a public stadium that is financed directly or indirectly by bonds to which the tax is pledged is performed by a nonpublic entity or if a public stadium is sold that is financed directly or indirectly by bonds to which the tax is pledged, any bonds to which the tax is pledged shall be retired. This subsection (3)(k) does not apply in respect to a public stadium under chapter 36.102 RCW transferred to, owned by, or constructed by a public facilities district under chapter 36.100 RCW or a stadium and exhibition center.

(l) The county may not lease a public stadium that is financed directly or indirectly by bonds to which the tax is pledged to, or authorize the use of the public stadium by, a professional major league sports franchise unless the sports franchise gives the right of first refusal to purchase the sports franchise, upon its sale, to local government. This subsection (3)(l) does not apply to contracts in existence on April 1, 1986.

(4) If a court of competent jurisdiction declares any provision of subsection (3) of this section invalid, then that invalid provision is null and void and the remainder of this section is not affected.

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