AN ACT Relating to expanding flexibility of existing lodging taxes for affordable workforce housing; and amending RCW 67.28.181 and 67.28.1815.

(1) The legislative body of any municipality may impose an excise tax on the sale of or charge made for the furnishing of lodging that is subject to tax under chapter 82.08 RCW. The rate of tax shall not exceed the lesser of two percent or a rate that, when combined with all other taxes imposed upon sales of lodging within the municipality under this chapter and chapters 36.100, 67.40, 82.08, and 82.14 RCW, equals twelve percent. A tax under this chapter shall not be imposed in increments smaller than tenths of a percent.

(a) If a municipality was authorized to impose taxes under this chapter or RCW 67.40.100 or both with a total rate exceeding four percent before July 27, 1997, such total authorization shall continue through January 31, 1999, and thereafter the municipality may impose a tax under this section at a rate not exceeding the rate actually imposed by the municipality on January 31, 1999.

(b) If a city or town, other than a municipality imposing a tax under (a) of this subsection, is located in a county that imposed taxes under this chapter with a total rate of four percent or more on January 1, 1997, the city or town may not impose a tax under this section.

(c) If a city has a population of four hundred thousand or more and is located in a county with a population of one million or more, the rate of tax imposed under this chapter by the city shall not exceed the lesser of four percent or a rate that, when combined with all other taxes imposed upon sales of lodging in the municipality under this chapter and chapters 36.100, 67.40, 82.08, and 82.14 RCW, equals fifteen and two-tenths percent.

(d) If a municipality was authorized to impose taxes under this chapter or RCW 67.40.100, or both, at a rate equal to six percent before January 1, 1998, the municipality may impose a tax under this section at a rate not exceeding the rate actually imposed by the municipality on January 1, 1998.

(3) Any county ordinance or resolution adopted under this section shall contain a provision allowing a credit against the county tax for the full amount of any city or town tax imposed under this section upon the same taxable event.

(4) In determining the effective combined rate of tax for purposes of the limit in subsections (1) and (2)(c) of this section, the tax rate under RCW 82.14.530 is not included.

(5) Until January 1, 2032, up to 33 percent of any levy authorized by this section in a county east of the crest of the Cascade mountains that has a population of at least 75,000 and no more than 90,000 may be used for contracts, loans, or grants to nonprofit organizations or public housing authorities for affordable workforce housing. As used in this subsection, "affordable workforce housing" means housing for a single person, family, or unrelated persons living together whose income is at least 60 percent and no more than 120 percent of the median income, adjusted for housing size, for the county where the housing is located.

Except as provided in RCW 67.28.180 and 67.28.181(5), all revenue from taxes imposed under this chapter shall be credited to a special fund in the treasury of the municipality imposing such tax and used solely for the purpose of paying all or any part of the cost of tourism promotion, acquisition of tourism-related facilities, or operation of tourism-related facilities. Municipalities may, under chapter 39.34 RCW, agree to the utilization of revenue from taxes imposed under this chapter for the purposes of funding a multijurisdictional tourism-related facility.