2019 Regular Session

BySenators Takko, Van De Wege, Bailey, Cleveland, and Saldaña

Read first time 02/01/19.Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks.

AN ACT Relating to ensuring that commercial fishing revenue benefits communities most dependent on the industry; amending RCW 82.27.070; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that commercial fishing is an important industry to Washington, and particularly to the rural, coastal communities of southwest Washington. Upon landing certain species of fish and shellfish, commercial fishers are subject to the enhanced food fish excise tax, also known as the "landing tax." Because the tax is paid to the state, it does not directly support the communities on which the industry depends. In order to serve the families residing in these communities, many of whom are active participants in the commercial fishing industry, municipalities need the resources to provide adequate public safety services and transportation infrastructure. The legislature intends to direct a portion of landing tax revenue to the communities that host this important industry and ensure that they directly benefit from the taxes paid by commercial fishers landing fish within their jurisdiction.

Sec. 2. RCW 82.27.070 and 2017 3rd sp.s. c 8 s 54 are each amended to read as follows:

All taxes collected by the department ((of revenue)) under this chapter shall be deposited in the state general fund except for the following:

(1) The equivalent of one-third of the excise tax collected shall be distributed to the city in which the fish was landed;

(2) The excise tax on anadromous game fish is deposited in the state wildlife account((.

)), except for the equivalent of one-third of the tax collected, which shall be distributed to the city in which the fish was landed, pursuant to subsection (1) of this section; and

(3) The excise tax on ocean waters, Columbia river, Willapa Bay, and Grays Harbor chinook, coho, and chum salmon is deposited as follows:

(a) The equivalent of ((five and twenty-five))three and seventeen one-hundredths percent shall be deposited in the state general fund((.));

(b) The equivalent of one percent shall be deposited in the state wildlife account; and

(c) The equivalent of two and eight one-hundredths percent shall be distributed to the city in which the fish was landed, pursuant to subsection (1) of this section.