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                            HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 4210

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State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

By Representatives Wineberry, Winsley, Leonard, Ballard, Franklin, Mitchell, Locke, Ludwig, Scott, Bowman, Tate, Ferguson, Mielke, Betrozoff, Paris, Miller and Anderson.

Read first time January 30, 1991.  Referred to Committee on Housing\ Revenue. Amending the Constitution to authorize a three-year property tax exemption for first-time homebuyers.

     BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION ASSEMBLED:

     THAT, At the next general election to be held in this state there shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the state for their approval and ratification, or rejection, an amendment to Article VII  of the Constitution of the state of Washington by adding a new section to read as follows:

     Article VII, section ____.  Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 7, section 1 (Amendment 14) and Article 7, section 2 (Amendment 17), the following tax exemption shall be allowed as to real property:

     The legislature shall have the power, by appropriate legislation, to grant to first-time homebuyers relief from the property tax on the real property occupied as a residence by those homebuyers for up to a three-year period after purchase.  The legislature may place such restrictions and conditions upon the granting of such relief as it shall deem proper.  Such restrictions and conditions may include, but are not limited to, the limiting of the relief to those property owners below a specific level of income and those fulfilling certain minimum residential requirements.

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause notice of the foregoing constitutional amendment to be published at least four times during the four weeks next preceding the election in every legal newspaper in the state.