H-2558.3

SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1988

ByHouse Finance (originally sponsored by Representatives Shewmake, Berry, and Paul; by request of Office of Financial Management)

AN ACT Relating to tax deferrals for investment projects in clean technology manufacturing, clean alternative fuels production, and renewable energy storage; adding a new chapter to Title 82 RCW; providing an effective date; and providing expiration dates.

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

(1) "Applicant" means a person applying for a tax deferral under this chapter.

(2) "Eligible investment project" means an investment project of at least $2,000,000 in either qualified buildings or qualified machinery and equipment, or both, for any of the following new, renovated, or expanded:

(a) Manufacturing operations;

(b) Facilities to produce clean fuels, subject to the limitations in subsection (8)(d) of this section, renewable hydrogen, green electrolytic hydrogen, or green hydrogen carriers; or

(c) Storage facilities.

(3) "Green electrolytic hydrogen" means hydrogen produced through electrolysis and does not include hydrogen manufactured using steam reforming or any other conversion technology that produces hydrogen from a fossil fuel feedstock.

(4) "Green hydrogen carrier" means a chemical compound, created using electricity or renewable resources as energy input and without use of fossil fuel as a feedstock, from renewable hydrogen or green electrolytic hydrogen for the purposes of transportation, storage, and dispensing of hydrogen.

(5)(a) "Initiation of construction" means the date that a building permit is issued under the building code adopted under RCW  19.27.031 for:

(i) Construction of the qualified building, if the underlying ownership of the building vests exclusively with the person receiving the economic benefit of the deferral;

(ii) Construction of the qualified building, if the economic benefits of the deferral are passed to a lessee as provided in section 2 of this act; or

(iii) Tenant improvements for a qualified building, if the economic benefits of the deferral are passed to a lessee as provided in section 2 of this act.

(b) "Initiation of construction" does not include soil testing, site clearing and grading, site preparation, or any other related activities that are initiated before the issuance of a building permit for the construction of the foundation of the building.

(c) If the eligible investment project is a phased project, "initiation of construction" applies separately to each phase.

(6) "Investment project" means an investment in either qualified buildings or qualified machinery and equipment, or both, including labor and services rendered in the planning, installation, and construction of the project.

(7) "Manufacturing" has the same meaning as "to manufacture" in RCW  82.04.120.

(8) "Manufacturing operation" means manufacturing tangible personal property exclusively incorporated as an ingredient or component of or used in the generation of:

(a) Passenger cars, light duty trucks, medium duty passenger vehicles, buses, commercial vehicles as defined in RCW 46.04.140, or motorcycles that emit no exhaust gas from the onboard source of power, other than water vapor;

(b) Charging and fueling infrastructure for electric, hydrogen, or other vehicle types that emits no exhaust gas from the onboard source of power, other than water vapor;

(c) Renewable and green electrolytic hydrogen, including preparing renewable and green electrolytic hydrogen for distribution or converting it to a green hydrogen carrier;

(d) Clean fuel with associated greenhouse gas emissions not exceeding 80 percent of the 2017 levels established under RCW 70A.535.020 or its successor statute under chapter 70A.535 RCW;

(e) Electricity from renewable resources; or

(f) Storage facilities.

(9) "Meaningful construction" means an active construction site, where excavation of a building site, laying of a building foundation, or other tangible signs of construction are taking place and that clearly show a progression in the construction process at the location designated by the taxpayer in the application for deferral. Planning, permitting, or land clearing before excavation of the building site, without more, does not constitute "meaningful construction."

(10) "Operationally complete" means the eligible investment project is capable of being used for its intended purpose as described in the application.

(11) "Person" has the same meaning as in RCW  82.04.030.

(12) "Qualified buildings" means construction of new structures, and expansion or renovation of existing structures for the purpose of increasing floor space or production capacity, used for manufacturing, including plant offices and warehouses or other buildings for the storage of raw materials or finished goods if the facilities are an essential or an integral part of a factory, mill, plant, or laboratory used for manufacturing. If a qualified building is used partly for manufacturing and partly for other purposes, the applicable tax deferral must be determined by apportionment of the costs of construction under rules adopted by the department.

(13) "Qualified machinery and equipment" means all new industrial fixtures, equipment, and support facilities that are an integral and necessary part of a manufacturing operation. "Qualified machinery and equipment" includes: Computers; software; data processing equipment; laboratory equipment; manufacturing components such as belts, pulleys, shafts, and moving parts; molds, tools, and dies; operating structures; and all equipment used to control, monitor, or operate the machinery.

(14) "Recipient" means a person receiving a tax deferral under this chapter.

(15) "Renewable resource" has the same meaning as in RCW  82.08.816.

(16) "Storage facility" means a facility that:

(a) Accepts electricity as an energy source and uses a chemical, thermal, mechanical, or other process to store energy for subsequent delivery or consumption in the form of electricity; or

(b) Stores renewable hydrogen, green electrolytic hydrogen, or green hydrogen carrier for subsequent delivery or consumption.

(1) The underlying ownership of the building, machinery, and equipment vests exclusively in the same person; or

(2)(a) The lessor by written contract agrees to pass the economic benefit of the deferral to the lessee;

(b) The lessee that receives the economic benefit of the deferral agrees in writing with the department to complete the annual tax performance report required under RCW  82.32.534; and

(c) The economic benefit of the deferral passed to the lessee is no less than the amount of tax deferred by the lessor and is evidenced by written documentation of any type of payment, credit, or other financial arrangement between the lessor or owner of the qualified building and the lessee.

(2) The department may not accept applications for the deferral under this chapter after June 30, 2032.

(3) This section expires January 1, 2033.

(2) No certificate may be issued for an investment project that has already received a deferral under this chapter or chapter 82.60 or 82.85 RCW.

(3) No certificate may be issued for an eligible investment project that has not had an application approved by the department as provided in section 3 of this act.

(4) The department must keep a running total of all deferrals granted under this chapter during each fiscal biennium.

(5) This section expires January 1, 2033.

(2) If the recipient does not begin meaningful construction on an eligible investment project within two years of receiving a deferral certificate, the deferral certificate issued under section 4 of this act is invalid and taxes deferred under this chapter are due immediately.

(2) The department may authorize an accelerated repayment schedule upon request of the recipient.

(3) Interest may not be charged on any taxes deferred under this chapter for the period of deferral, although all other penalties and interest applicable to delinquent excise taxes may be assessed and imposed for delinquent payments under this chapter.

(4) The department must assess interest at the rate provided for delinquent taxes, but not penalties, retroactively to the date of deferral for a recipient who must repay deferred taxes under this chapter because the department has found that a purchase is not eligible for tax deferral.

(5) The debt for deferred taxes are not extinguished by insolvency or other failure of the recipient.

(6) Transfer of ownership does not terminate the deferral. The deferral is transferred, subject to the successor meeting the eligibility requirements of this chapter, for the remaining periods of the deferral.

(a) Fifty percent of the state sales and use tax deferred, if the department of labor and industries certifies that the eligible investment project includes procurement from and contracts with women, minority, or veteran-owned businesses; procurement from and contracts with entities that have a history of complying with federal and state wage and hour laws and regulations; apprenticeship utilization; and preferred entry for workers living in the area where the eligible investment project is being constructed. In the event that an eligible investment project is built without one or more of these standards, and a project developer or its designated principal contractor demonstrates that it has made all good faith efforts to meet the standards but was unable to comply due to lack of availability of qualified businesses or local hires, the department of labor and industries may certify that the developer complied with that standard;

(b) Seventy-five percent of the state sales and use tax deferred, if the department of labor and industries certifies that the eligible investment project complies with (a) of this subsection and compensates workers at prevailing wage rates determined by local collective bargaining as determined by the department of labor and industries; or

(c) One hundred percent of the state sales and use tax deferred, if the department of labor and industries certifies that the eligible investment project is developed under a community workforce agreement or project labor agreement.

(2)(a) The department of labor and industries must adopt emergency and permanent rules to:

(i) Define and set minimum requirements for all labor standards identified in subsection (1) of this section as well as documentation requirements and a certification process. The certification process and timeline must be designed to prevent undue delay to project development; and

(ii) Set requirements for all good faith efforts under subsection (1)(a) and (b) of this section. Requirements for all good faith efforts must be designed to maximize the likelihood that the project is completed with the standards, and include:

(A) Proactive outreach to women, minority, and veteran-owned businesses;

(B) Advertising in local community publications and publications appropriate to identified firms and with the office of minority and women's business enterprises;

(C) Participating in community job fairs, conferences, and trade shows; and

(D) Other measures.

(b) The standards for procurement from and contracts with women and minority-owned businesses under subsection (1)(a) of this section must include a requirement that the recipient of the deferral consult with the office of minority and women's business enterprises to develop a plan to meet the standards or good faith efforts. The requirements for good faith efforts must include the office of minority and women's business enterprises review to determine compliance with the plan.

(c) The labor standard for procurement from and contracts with veteran-owned businesses under subsection (1)(a) of this section must include a requirement that the recipient of the deferral consult with the department of veterans affairs to develop a plan to meet the standards or good faith efforts. The requirements for good faith efforts must include the department of veterans affairs review to determine compliance with the plan.

(d) The department of labor and industries must consult with the office of minority and women's business enterprises, the department of veterans affairs, and the Washington apprenticeship and training council in setting standards and good faith efforts.

(3) Nothing in this section reduces the amount of local sales and use taxes to be repaid under section 6 of this act. The recipient must repay all local sales and use taxes due under chapters 82.08, 82.12, 82.14, and 81.104 RCW as provided in section 6 of this act.

(2) If the eligible investment project is not operationally complete within five calendar years from the issuance of the tax deferral certificate, or if, on the basis of the tax performance report under RCW 82.32.534 or other information, the department finds that an eligible investment project is used for purposes other than those listed in section 1(2) of this act at any time during the calendar year in which the investment is certified by the department as having been operationally completed, or at any time during any of the repayment period, a portion of deferred taxes is immediately due according to the following schedule:

(3) If the economic benefits of a tax deferral under this chapter are passed to a lessee as provided in section 2 of this act, the lessee is responsible for payment to the extent the lessee has received the economic benefit.

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