[atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to transportation of persons with special needs; amending RCW 82.14.045; adding a new section to chapter 36.57 RCW; and adding a new section to chapter 36.57A RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 36.57 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Effective January 1, 2001, in addition to any other authority granted under this chapter, a county transportation authority may be created to purchase, acquire, maintain, operate, or lease transportation services, equipment, and facilities for public transportation limited only to persons with special needs by any method or combination of methods provided by the authority.

(2) As used in this section, "persons with special needs" means those persons, including their personal attendants, who because of physical or mental disability, income status, or age are unable to transport themselves or purchase transportation.

(3) The county transportation authority may fix, regulate, and control fares and rates to be charged for these transportation services.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 36.57A RCW to read as follows:

(1) Effective January 1, 2001, in addition to any other authority granted under this chapter, a newly formed public transportation benefit area, or an existing public transportation benefit area that has not yet successfully submitted an authorizing proposition to the voters under RCW 82.14.045, may purchase, acquire, maintain, operate, or lease transportation services, equipment, and facilities for public transportation limited only to persons with special needs by any method or combination of methods provided by the area authority.

(3) The public transportation benefit area may fix, regulate, and control fares and rates to be charged for these transportation services.

Sec. 3. RCW 82.14.045 and 2000 2nd sp.s. c 4 s 16 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The legislative body of any city pursuant to RCW 35.92.060, of any county which has created an unincorporated transportation benefit area pursuant to RCW 36.57.100 and 36.57.110, of any public transportation benefit area pursuant to RCW 36.57A.080 and 36.57A.090, of any county transportation authority established pursuant to chapter 36.57 RCW, and of any metropolitan municipal corporation within a county with a population of one million or more pursuant to chapter 35.58 RCW, may, by resolution or ordinance for the sole purpose of providing funds for the operation, maintenance, or capital needs of public transportation systems or public transportation limited to persons with special needs under sections 1 and 2 of this act, and in lieu of the excise taxes authorized by RCW 35.95.040, submit an authorizing proposition to the voters or include such authorization in a proposition to perform the function of public transportation or public transportation limited to persons with special needs under sections 1 and 2 of this act, and if approved by a majority of persons voting thereon, fix and impose a sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this chapter: PROVIDED, That no such legislative body shall impose such a sales and use tax without submitting such an authorizing proposition to the voters and obtaining the approval of a majority of persons voting thereon: PROVIDED FURTHER, That where such a proposition is submitted by a county on behalf of an unincorporated transportation benefit area, it shall be voted upon by the voters residing within the boundaries of such unincorporated transportation benefit area and, if approved, the sales and use tax shall be imposed only within such area. Notwithstanding any provisions of this section to the contrary, any county in which a county public transportation plan has been adopted pursuant to RCW 36.57.070 and the voters of such county have authorized the imposition of a sales and use tax pursuant to the provisions of section 10, chapter 167, Laws of 1974 ex. sess., prior to July 1, 1975, shall be authorized to fix and impose a sales and use tax as provided in this section at not to exceed the rate so authorized without additional approval of the voters of such county as otherwise required by this section.

The tax authorized pursuant to this section shall be in addition to the tax authorized by RCW 82.14.030 and shall be collected from those persons who are taxable by the state pursuant to chapters 82.08 and 82.12 RCW upon the occurrence of any taxable event within such city, public transportation benefit area, county, or metropolitan municipal corporation as the case may be. The rate of such tax shall be one-tenth, two-tenths, three-tenths, four-tenths, five-tenths, six-tenths, seven-tenths, eight-tenths, or nine-tenths of one percent of the selling price (in the case of a sales tax) or value of the article used (in the case of a use tax). The rate of such tax shall not exceed the rate authorized by the voters unless such increase shall be similarly approved.

(2)(a) In the event a metropolitan municipal corporation shall impose a sales and use tax pursuant to this chapter no city, county which has created an unincorporated transportation benefit area, public transportation benefit area authority, or county transportation authority wholly within such metropolitan municipal corporation shall be empowered to levy and/or collect taxes pursuant to RCW 35.58.273, 35.95.040, and/or 82.14.045, but nothing herein shall prevent such city or county from imposing sales and use taxes pursuant to any other authorization.

(b) In the event a county transportation authority shall impose a sales and use tax pursuant to this section, no city, county which has created an unincorporated transportation benefit area, public transportation benefit area, or metropolitan municipal corporation, located within the territory of the authority, shall be empowered to levy or collect taxes pursuant to RCW 35.58.273, 35.95.040, or 82.14.045.

(c) In the event a public transportation benefit area shall impose a sales and use tax pursuant to this section, no city, county which has created an unincorporated transportation benefit area, or metropolitan municipal corporation, located wholly or partly within the territory of the public transportation benefit area, shall be empowered to levy or collect taxes pursuant to RCW 35.58.273, 35.95.040, or 82.14.045.

(3) Any local sales and use tax revenue collected pursuant to this section by any city or by any county for transportation purposes pursuant to RCW 36.57.100 and 36.57.110 shall not be counted as locally generated tax revenues for the purposes of apportionment and distribution, in the manner prescribed by chapter 82.44 RCW, of the proceeds of the motor vehicle excise tax authorized pursuant to RCW 35.58.273, except that the local sales and use tax revenue collected under this section by a city with a population greater than sixty thousand that as of January 1, 1998, owns and operates a municipal public transportation system shall be counted as locally generated tax revenues for the purposes of apportionment and distribution, in the manner prescribed by chapter 82.44 RCW, of the proceeds of the motor vehicle excise tax authorized under RCW 35.58.273 as follows:

(a) For fiscal year 2000, revenues collected under this section shall be counted as locally generated tax revenues for up to 25 percent of the tax collected under RCW 35.58.273;

(b) For fiscal year 2001, revenues collected under this section shall be counted as locally generated tax revenues for up to 50 percent of the tax collected under RCW 35.58.273;

(c) For fiscal year 2002, revenues collected under this section shall be counted as locally generated tax revenues for up to 75 percent of the tax collected under RCW 35.58.273; and

(d) For fiscal year 2003 and thereafter, revenues collected under this section shall be counted as locally generated tax revenues for up to 100 percent of the tax collected under RCW 35.58.273.