H-5080.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2904

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

By House Committee on Finance (originally sponsored by Representatives Cooper, Costa, Poulsen, Constantine, Cody, Chopp, B. Thomas, O'Brien, Hatfield, Conway, Appelwick, Gombosky and Mason)

Read first time 02/09/98.  Referred to Committee on .

Prescribing requirements for emergency medical care and services levies.

    AN ACT Relating to property tax levies for emergency medical care and services; amending RCW 84.52.069; and creating a new section.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 84.52.069 and 1995 c 318 s 9 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) As used in this section, "taxing district" means a county, emergency medical service district, city or town, public hospital district, urban emergency medical service district, or fire protection district.

    (2) A taxing district may impose additional regular property tax levies in an amount equal to fifty cents or less per thousand dollars of the assessed value of property in the taxing district in each year for ((six)) up to ten consecutive years when specifically authorized ((so to do by a majority of at least three-fifths of the registered voters thereof approving a)) to do so by a majority of the voters of the taxing district voting on a ballot proposition authorizing the levies submitted at a general or special election((, at which election the number of persons voting "yes" on the proposition shall constitute three-fifths of a number equal to forty percent of the total number of voters voting in such taxing district at the last preceding general election when the number of registered voters voting on the proposition does not exceed forty percent of the total number of voters voting in such taxing district in the last preceding general election; or by a majority of at least three-fifths of the registered voters thereof voting on the proposition when the number of registered voters voting on the proposition exceeds forty percent of the total number of voters voting in such taxing district in the last preceding general election)).  Ballot propositions shall conform with RCW 29.30.111.

    (3) Any tax imposed under this section shall be used only for the provision of emergency medical care or emergency medical services, including related personnel costs, training for such personnel, and related equipment, supplies, vehicles and structures needed for the provision of emergency medical care or emergency medical services.

    (4) If a county levies a tax under this section, no taxing district within the county may levy a tax under this section.  No other taxing district may levy a tax under this section if another taxing district has levied a tax under this section within its boundaries:  PROVIDED, That if a county levies less than fifty cents per thousand dollars of the assessed value of property, then any other taxing district may levy a tax under this section equal to the difference between the rate of the levy by the county and fifty cents:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That if a taxing district within a county levies this tax, and the voters of the county subsequently approve a levying of this tax, then the amount of the taxing district levy within the county shall be reduced, when the combined levies exceed fifty cents.  Whenever a tax is levied county-wide, the service shall, insofar as is feasible, be provided throughout the county:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That no county-wide levy proposal may be placed on the ballot without the approval of the legislative authority of each city exceeding fifty thousand population within the county:  AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That this section and RCW 36.32.480 shall not prohibit any city or town from levying an annual excess levy to fund emergency medical services:  AND PROVIDED, FURTHER, That if a county proposes to impose tax levies under this section, no other ballot proposition authorizing tax levies under this section by another taxing district in the county may be placed before the voters at the same election at which the county ballot proposition is placed:  AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That any taxing district emergency medical service levy that is authorized subsequent to a county emergency medical service levy, shall expire concurrently with the county emergency medical service levy.

    (5) The limitations in RCW 84.52.043 shall not apply to the tax levy authorized in this section.

    (6) The limitation in RCW 84.55.010 shall not apply to the first levy imposed pursuant to this section following the approval of such levy by the voters pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  This act applies to taxes levied for collection in 1999 and thereafter.

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