BP BHEAD INT H

AN ACT Relating to school districts; amending RCW 28A.535.020, 28A.535.050, 84.52.053, 84.52.056, and 39.36.020; repealing RCW 28A.530.020; and providing a contingent effective date.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 28A.535.020 and 1995 c 111 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

Whenever the board of directors of any school district shall deem it advisable to validate and ratify the indebtedness mentioned in RCW 28A.535.010, they shall provide therefor by resolution, which shall be entered on the records of such school district, which resolution shall provide for the holding of an election for the purpose of submitting the question of validating and ratifying the indebtedness so incurred to the voters of such school district for approval or disapproval, and if at ((~~such~~)) a general election ((~~three-fifths~~)) a majority of the voters in such school district voting at such election shall vote in favor of the validation and ratification of such indebtedness, then such indebtedness so validated and ratified and every part thereof existing at the time of the adoption of said resolution shall thereby become and is hereby declared to be validated and ratified and a binding obligation upon such school district. The resolution adopted by the board of directors shall specify the purposes of the debt financing measure, including the specific buildings to be constructed or remodelled and any additional specific purposes as authorized by RCW 28A.530.010. If the debt financing measure anticipates the receipt of state financing assistance under chapter 28A.525 RCW, the board resolution also shall describe the specific anticipated purpose of the state assistance. If the school board subsequently determines that state or local circumstances should cause any alteration to the specific expenditures from the debt financing or of the state assistance, the board shall first conduct a public hearing to consider those circumstances and to receive public testimony. If the board then determines that any such alterations are in the best interests of the district, it may adopt a new resolution or amend the original resolution at a public meeting held subsequent to the meeting at which public testimony was received.

Sec. 2. RCW 28A.535.050 and 1984 c 186 s 14 are each amended to read as follows:

If the indebtedness of such school district is validated and ratified, as provided in this chapter, ((~~by three-fifths of the voters voting at such election,~~)) the board of directors of such school district, without any further vote, may borrow money and issue and sell negotiable bonds therefor in accordance with chapter 39.46 RCW.

Sec. 3. RCW 84.52.053 and 1994 c 116 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

The limitations imposed by RCW 84.52.050 through 84.52.056, and 84.52.043 shall not prevent the levy of taxes by school districts, when authorized so to do by the voters of such school district in the manner and for the purposes and number of years allowable under Article VII, section 2(a) of the Constitution of this state. Elections for such taxes shall be held in the year in which the levy is made or, in the case of propositions authorizing two-year levies for maintenance and operation support of a school district, authorizing two-year levies for transportation vehicle funds established in RCW 28A.160.130, or authorizing two-year through six-year levies to support the construction, modernization, or remodeling of school facilities, in the year in which the first annual levy is made: PROVIDED, That once additional tax levies have been authorized for maintenance and operation support of a school district for a two-year period, no further additional tax levies for maintenance and operation support of the district for that period may be authorized.

((A special election may be called and the time therefor fixed by the board of school directors, by giving notice thereof by publication in the manner provided by law for giving notices of general elections, at which special election the proposition authorizing such excess levy shall be submitted in such form as to enable the voters favoring the proposition to vote "yes" and those opposed thereto to vote "no".))

Sec. 4. RCW 84.52.056 and 1973 1st ex.s. c 195 s 104 are each amended to read as follows:

Any municipal corporation otherwise authorized by law to issue general obligation bonds for capital purposes may, at an election duly held after giving notice thereof as required by law, authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds for capital purposes only, which shall not include the replacement of equipment, and provide for the payment of the principal and interest of such bonds by annual levies in excess of the tax limitations contained in RCW 84.52.050 to 84.52.056, inclusive and RCW 84.52.043. Such an election shall not be held oftener than twice a calendar year, and the proposition to issue any such bonds and to exceed said tax limitation must receive the affirmative vote of a three-fifths majority of those voting on the proposition and the total number of ((~~persons~~)) voters voting at such election must constitute not less than forty percent of the voters in said municipal corporation who voted at the last preceding general state election, except that a proposition by a school district to issue such bonds and to pay the principal and interest on the bonds by annual tax levies shall be authorized by receiving the affirmative vote of a majority of the voters voting on the proposition at a general election.

Any taxing district shall have the right by vote of its governing body to refund any general obligation bonds of said district issued for capital purposes only, and to provide for the interest thereon and amortization thereof by annual levies in excess of the tax limitations provided for in RCW 84.52.050 to 84.52.056, inclusive and RCW 84.52.043.

Sec. 5. RCW 39.36.020 and 1994 c 277 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Except as otherwise expressly provided by law or in subsections (2), (3) and (4) of this section, no taxing district shall for any purpose become indebted in any manner to an amount exceeding three‑eighths of one percent of the value of the taxable property in such taxing district without the assent of three‑fifths of the voters therein voting at an election to be held for that purpose, nor in cases requiring such assent shall the total indebtedness incurred at any time exceed one and one-fourth percent on the value of the taxable property therein.

(2)(a)(i) Public hospital districts are limited to an indebtedness amount not exceeding three-fourths of one percent of the value of the taxable property in such public hospital districts without the assent of three-fifths of the voters therein voting at an election held for that purpose.

(ii) Counties, cities, and towns are limited to an indebtedness amount not exceeding one and one-half percent of the value of the taxable property in such counties, cities, or towns without the assent of three-fifths of the voters therein voting at an election held for that purpose.

(b) In cases requiring such assent counties, cities, towns, and public hospital districts are limited to a total indebtedness of two and one-half percent of the value of the taxable property therein. However, any county that has assumed the rights, powers, functions, and obligations of a metropolitan municipal corporation under chapter 36.56 RCW may become indebted to a larger amount for its authorized metropolitan functions, as provided under chapter 35.58 RCW, but not exceeding an additional three-fourths of one percent of the value of the taxable property in the county without the assent of three-fifths of the voters therein voting at an election held for that purpose, and in cases requiring such assent not exceeding an additional two and one-half percent of the value of the taxable property in the county.

(3) School districts are limited to an indebtedness amount not exceeding three-eighths of one percent of the value of the taxable property in such district without the assent of ((~~three‑fifths~~)) a majority of the voters therein voting at ((an)) a general election held for that purpose. In cases requiring such assent school districts are limited to a total indebtedness of two and one-half percent of the value of the taxable property therein.

(4) No part of the indebtedness allowed in this chapter shall be incurred for any purpose other than strictly county, city, town, school district, township, port district, metropolitan park district, or other municipal purposes: PROVIDED, That a city or town, with such assent, may become indebted to a larger amount, but not exceeding two and one-half percent additional, determined as herein provided, for supplying such city or town with water, artificial light, and sewers, when the works for supplying such water, light, and sewers shall be owned and controlled by the city or town; and a city or town, with such assent, may become indebted to a larger amount, but not exceeding two and one-half percent additional for acquiring or developing open space and park facilities: PROVIDED FURTHER, That any school district may become indebted to a larger amount but not exceeding two and one-half percent additional for capital outlays.

(5) Such indebtedness may be authorized in any total amount in one or more propositions and the amount of such authorization may exceed the amount of indebtedness which could then lawfully be incurred. Such indebtedness may be incurred in one or more series of bonds from time to time out of such authorization but at no time shall the total general indebtedness of any taxing district exceed the above limitation.

The term "value of the taxable property" as used in this section shall have the meaning set forth in RCW 39.36.015.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. RCW 28A.530.020 and 1990 c 33 s 478, 1984 c 186 s 11, 1970 ex.s. c 42 s 9, & 1969 ex.s. c 223 s 28A.51.020 are each repealed.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. This act shall take effect when the proposed amendment to Article VII, section 2 and Article VIII, section 6 of the state Constitution providing for a simple majority of voters voting at a general election to authorize school district levies and bonds is validly submitted to and is approved and ratified by the voters at the next general election and certified by the secretary of state. If the proposed amendment is not so approved, ratified, and certified, this act is void in its entirety.