H-3612.3          _______________________________________________

                                  HOUSE BILL 2209

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              54th Legislature             1996 Regular Session

By Representatives B. Thomas, Schoesler, Mastin, Radcliff, Dyer, Koster, Campbell, Smith, Huff, Horn, L. Thomas, Elliot, Johnson, Hickel, Thompson, Cooke, Goldsmith, Backlund, Hargrove and Benton

Read first time 01/08/96.  Referred to Committee on Finance.

Reducing the state property tax levy.

     AN ACT Relating to reducing the state property tax levy for 1997 and thereafter; amending RCW 84.55.012; adding a new section to chapter 84.55 RCW; and providing for submission of this act to a vote of the people.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 84.55 RCW to read as follows:

     (1) As used in this section, "full levy" means the levy amount that would be allowed otherwise under this chapter without regard to RCW 84.55.012, this section, or any other tax reduction legislation enacted in 1996.

     (2) The state levy for collection in 1997 shall be reduced by five percent of the full levy for that year.  The tax reduction provided in this section is in addition to any other tax reduction legislation that may be enacted by the legislature.

     (3) Levies collected before 1997 shall not be used as a base for calculating limits for state levies for collection after 1997.

     Sec. 2.  RCW 84.55.012 and 1995 2nd sp.s. c 13 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

     (1) The state property tax levy for collection in 1996 shall be reduced by 4.7187 percent of the levy amount that would otherwise be allowed under this chapter without regard to this section or any other tax reduction legislation enacted in 1995.

     (2) The tax reduction provided in this section is in addition to any other tax reduction legislation that may be enacted by the legislature.

     (((3) State levies for collection after 1996 shall be set at the amount that would be allowed otherwise under this chapter if the state levy for collection in 1996 had been set without the reduction under subsection (1) of this section.))

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  This act shall be submitted to the people for their adoption and ratification, or rejection, at the next succeeding general election to be held in this state, in accordance with Article II, section 1 of the state Constitution, as amended, and the laws adopted to facilitate the operation thereof.

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