BP BHEAD INT S

AN ACT Relating to property tax reductions; amending RCW 43.135.045; reenacting and amending RCW 43.84.092; adding a new section to chapter 84.48 RCW; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 43.135.045 and 1994 c 2 s 3 (Initiative Measure No. 601) are each amended to read as follows:

(1)(a) During each fiscal year, the state treasurer shall deposit in the property tax reduction fund all general fund‑-state revenues in excess of the state expenditure limit for that fiscal year. Deposits shall be made at the end of each fiscal quarter based on projections of state revenues and the state expenditure limit.

(b) The amount transferred into the property tax reduction fund may not exceed the amount necessary to negate the need for a state tax levy under RCW 84.48.080. This unused taxing capacity may not be used to supplant the need to utilize other revenue sources.

(c) All general fund‑-state revenues in excess of the amount necessary under (b) of this subsection shall be deposited into the emergency reserve fund under subsection (2) of this section.

(2) The emergency reserve fund is established in the state treasury. During each fiscal year, the state treasurer shall deposit in the emergency reserve fund all general fund‑-state revenues in excess of the ((~~state expenditure limit for that fiscal year~~)) amount necessary under subsection (1) of this section. Deposits shall be made at the end of each fiscal quarter ((~~based on projections of state revenues and the state expenditure limit~~)).

((~~(2)~~)) (3) The legislature may appropriate moneys from the emergency reserve fund only with approval of at least two-thirds of the members of each house of the legislature, and then only if the appropriation does not cause total expenditures to exceed the state expenditure limit under this chapter.

((~~(3)~~)) (4) The emergency reserve fund balance shall not exceed five percent of biennial general fund‑-state revenues as projected by the official state revenue forecast. Any balance in excess of five percent shall be transferred on a quarterly basis by the state treasurer to the education construction fund hereby created in the treasury.

((~~(4)~~)) (5)(a) Funds may be appropriated from the education construction fund exclusively for common school construction or higher education construction.

(b) Funds may be appropriated for any other purpose only if approved by a two-thirds vote of each house of the legislature and if approved by a vote of the people at the next general election. An appropriation approved by the people under this subsection shall result in an adjustment to the state expenditure limit only for the fiscal period for which the appropriation is made and shall not affect any subsequent fiscal period.

Sec. 2. RCW 43.84.092 and 1994 c 2 s 6 (Initiative Measure No. 601), 1993 sp.s. c 25 s 511, 1993 sp.s. c 8 s 1, 1993 c 500 s 6, 1993 c 492 s 473, 1993 c 445 s 4, 1993 c 329 s 2, and 1993 c 4 s 9 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) All earnings of investments of surplus balances in the state treasury shall be deposited to the treasury income account, which account is hereby established in the state treasury.

(2) The treasury income account shall be utilized to pay or receive funds associated with federal programs as required by the federal cash management improvement act of 1990. The treasury income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for refunds or allocations of interest earnings required by the cash management improvement act. Refunds of interest to the federal treasury required under the cash management improvement act fall under RCW 43.88.180 and shall not require appropriation. The office of financial management shall determine the amounts due to or from the federal government pursuant to the cash management improvement act. The office of financial management may direct transfers of funds between accounts as deemed necessary to implement the provisions of the cash management improvement act, and this subsection. Refunds or allocations shall occur prior to the distributions of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.

(3) Except for the provisions of RCW 43.84.160, the treasury income account may be utilized for the payment of purchased banking services on behalf of treasury funds including, but not limited to, depository, safekeeping, and disbursement functions for the state treasury and affected state agencies. The treasury income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for payments to financial institutions. Payments shall occur prior to distribution of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.

(4) Monthly, the state treasurer shall distribute the earnings credited to the treasury income account. The state treasurer shall credit the general fund with all the earnings credited to the treasury income account except:

(a) The following accounts and funds shall receive their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's and fund's average daily balance for the period: The capitol building construction account, the Cedar River channel construction and operation account, the Central Washington University capital projects account, the charitable, educational, penal and reformatory institutions account, the common school construction fund, the county criminal justice assistance account, the county sales and use tax equalization account, the data processing building construction account, the deferred compensation administrative account, the deferred compensation principal account, the department of retirement systems expense account, the Eastern Washington University capital projects account, the education construction fund, the emergency reserve fund, the federal forest revolving account, the health services account, the public health services account, the health system capacity account, the personal health services account, the industrial insurance premium refund account, the judges' retirement account, the judicial retirement administrative account, the judicial retirement principal account, the local leasehold excise tax account, the local real estate excise tax account, the local sales and use tax account, the medical aid account, the municipal criminal justice assistance account, the municipal sales and use tax equalization account, the natural resources deposit account, the perpetual surveillance and maintenance account, the property tax reduction fund, the public employees' retirement system plan I account, the public employees' retirement system plan II account, the Puyallup tribal settlement account, the resource management cost account, the site closure account, the special wildlife account, the state employees' insurance account, the state employees' insurance reserve account, the state investment board expense account, the state investment board commingled trust fund accounts, the supplemental pension account, the teachers' retirement system plan I account, the teachers' retirement system plan II account, the tuition recovery trust fund, the University of Washington bond retirement fund, the University of Washington building account, the volunteer fire fighters' relief and pension principal account, the volunteer fire fighters' relief and pension administrative account, the Washington judicial retirement system account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' system plan I retirement account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' system plan II retirement account, the Washington state patrol retirement account, the Washington State University building account, the Washington State University bond retirement fund, the water pollution control revolving fund, and the Western Washington University capital projects account. Earnings derived from investing balances of the agricultural permanent fund, the normal school permanent fund, the permanent common school fund, the scientific permanent fund, and the state university permanent fund shall be allocated to their respective beneficiary accounts. All earnings to be distributed under this subsection (4)(a) shall first be reduced by the allocation to the state treasurer's service fund pursuant to RCW 43.08.190.

(b) The following accounts and funds shall receive eighty percent of their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period: The ((~~marine operating fund, the~~)) motor vehicle fund((,)) and the transportation fund.

(5) In conformance with Article II, section 37 of the state Constitution, no treasury accounts or funds shall be allocated earnings without the specific affirmative directive of this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 84.48 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The department of revenue shall deduct the amount of money credited to the property tax reduction fund, created under RCW 43.135.045, from the amount to be raised for the following year's property taxes as set forth under RCW 84.48.080.

(2) The state treasurer shall transfer the money in the property tax reduction fund to the general fund annually on the date established by rule by the department of revenue.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect July 1, 1995.