[atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to the federal mobile telecommunications sourcing act; amending RCW 82.04.065, 82.08.0289, 82.14.020, 82.14B.030, 35.21.714, and 35A.82.060; adding a new section to chapter 82.04 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 82.32 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 35.21 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 35A.82 RCW; creating new sections; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the United States Congress has enacted the mobile telecommunications sourcing act for the purpose of establishing uniform nationwide sourcing rules for state and local taxation of mobile telecommunications services. The legislature desires to adopt implementing legislation governing taxation by the state and by affected local taxing jurisdictions within the state. The legislature recognizes that the federal act is intended to provide a clarification of sourcing rules that is revenue-neutral among the states, and that the clarifications required by the federal act are likely in fact to be revenue-neutral at the state level. The legislature also desires to take advantage of a provision of the federal act that allows a state with a generally applicable business and occupation tax, such as this state, to make the uniform sourcing rules elective for such tax. Any construction of this act should reflect the legislature's intention to give effect to the federal act. The new definitions of statutory terms provided in this act shall have no impact on the interpretation of the existing laws of this state or of any political subdivision of this state except as expressly set forth in this act.

Sec. 2. RCW 82.04.065 and 1997 c 304 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) "Competitive telephone service" means the providing by any person of telecommunications equipment or apparatus, or service related to that equipment or apparatus such as repair or maintenance service, if the equipment or apparatus is of a type which can be provided by persons that are not subject to regulation as telephone companies under Title 80 RCW and for which a separate charge is made.

(2) "Network telephone service" means the providing by any person of access to a local telephone network, local telephone network switching service, toll service, or coin telephone services, or the providing of telephonic, video, data, or similar communication or transmission for hire, via a local telephone network, toll line or channel, cable, microwave, or similar communication or transmission system. "Network telephone service" includes interstate service, including toll service, originating from or received on telecommunications equipment or apparatus in this state if the charge for the service is billed to a person in this state. With respect to a home service provider of mobile telecommunications services: (a) "Network telephone service" includes mobile telecommunications services provided to its customers in any taxing jurisdiction, the charges for which are billed by or for the home service provider, irrespective of whether the services are provided by the home service provider; and (b) "network telephone service" does not include mobile telecommunications services provided to persons other than the home service provider's customers. "Network telephone service" includes the provision of transmission to and from the site of an internet provider via a local telephone network, toll line or channel, cable, microwave, or similar communication or transmission system. "Network telephone service" does not include the providing of competitive telephone service, the providing of cable television service, the providing of broadcast services by radio or television stations, nor the provision of internet service as defined in RCW 82.04.297, including the reception of dial-in connection, provided at the site of the internet service provider.

(3) "Telephone service" means competitive telephone service or network telephone service, or both, as defined in subsections (1) and (2) of this section.

(4) "Telephone business" means the business of providing network telephone service, as defined in subsection (2) of this section. It includes cooperative or farmer line telephone companies or associations operating an exchange.

(5) "Charges for mobile telecommunications services" means any charge for, or associated with, the provision of commercial mobile radio service, as defined in section 20.3, Title 47 C.F.R. as in effect on June 1, 1999, or any charge for, or associated with, a service provided as an adjunct to a commercial mobile radio service, that is billed to the customer by or for the customer's home service provider regardless of whether individual transmissions originate or terminate within the licensed service area of the home service provider.

(6) "Customer" means: (a) The person or entity that contracts with the home service provider for mobile telecommunications services; or (b) the end user of the mobile telecommunications service, if the end user of mobile telecommunications services is not the contracting party, but this clause applies only for the purpose of determining the place of primary use. Without implication for the general definition of "customer," the term does not include a reseller of mobile telecommunications service, or a serving carrier under an arrangement to serve the customer outside the home service provider's licensed service area.

(7) "Designated data base provider" means a corporation, association, or other entity representing all the political subdivisions of the state that is:

(a) Responsible for providing an electronic data base prescribed in 4 U.S.C. Sec. 119(a) if the state has not provided an electronic data base; and

(b) Approved by municipal and county associations or leagues of the state whose responsibility it would otherwise be to provide a data base prescribed by 4 U.S.C. Secs. 116 through 126.

(8) "Enhanced zip code" means a United States postal zip code of nine or more digits.

(9) "Home service provider" means the facilities-based carrier or reseller when the customer contracts for the provision of mobile telecommunications services.

(10) "Licensed service area" means the geographic area in which the home service provider is authorized by law or contract to provide commercial mobile radio service to the customer.

(11) "Mobile telecommunications service" means commercial mobile radio service, as defined in section 20.3, Title 47 C.F.R. as in effect on June 1, 1999.

(12) "Place of primary use" means the street address representative of where the customer's use of the mobile telecommunications service primarily occurs, which must be:

(a) The residential street address or the primary business street address of the customer; and

(b) Within the licensed service area of the home service provider.

(13) "Prepaid telephone calling service" means the right to purchase exclusively telecommunications services that must be paid for in advance, that enables the origination of calls using an access number, authorization code, or both, whether manually or electronically dialed, if the remaining amount of units of service that have been prepaid is known by the provider of the prepaid service on a continuous basis.

(14) "Reseller" means a provider who purchases telecommunications services from another telecommunications service provider and then resells, uses as a component part of, or integrates the purchased services into a mobile telecommunications service. "Reseller" does not include a serving carrier when a home service provider arranges for the services to its customers outside the home service provider's licensed service area.

(15) "Serving carrier" means a facilities-based carrier providing mobile telecommunications service to a customer outside a home service provider's or reseller's licensed service area.

(16) "Taxing jurisdiction" means any of the several states, the District of Columbia, or any territory or possession of the United States, any municipality, city, county, township, parish, transportation district, or assessment jurisdiction, or other political subdivision within the territorial limits of the United States with the authority to impose a tax, charge, or fee.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 82.04 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of RCW 82.04.065(2), a home service provider that is subject to tax under RCW 82.04.250 may elect, for purposes of the taxes payable under this chapter only, to calculate its gross proceeds of sales by including charges for mobile communications services provided within this state to all consumers, irrespective of whether they are the home service provider's customers, and excluding charges billed by or for the home service provider for mobile telecommunications services provided to its customers outside the home service provider's licensed service areas in this state. This election shall be made by written notice to the department dated prior to the effective date of this act, or with respect to any tax year thereafter, prior to the beginning of the tax year, and may be revoked by the taxpayer by the same method with respect to any tax year after a tax year to which this election applies. If no election is made by a taxpayer pursuant to this section, it is presumed that the taxpayer's calculation of gross proceeds of sales is consistent with RCW 82.04.065(2).

(2) This chapter does not apply to amounts received by a home service provider of mobile telecommunications services, with respect to which an election provided for in subsection (1) of this section is not then in effect, with respect to the provision of services to consumers whose place of primary use is outside this state.

(3) As used in this section, "customer," "home service provider," "licensed service area," "mobile telecommunications services," and "place of primary use" have the meaning given in RCW 82.04.065.

Sec. 4. RCW 82.08.0289 and 1983 2nd ex.s. c 3 s 30 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The tax levied by RCW 82.08.020 shall not apply to sales of:

(a) Network telephone service, other than toll service, to residential customers.

(b) Network telephone service which is paid for by inserting coins in coin-operated telephones.

(c) Network telephone service consisting of mobile telecommunications services, including any toll service, provided to any customer whose place of primary use is outside this state.

(2) As used in this section:

(a) "Network telephone service," ((~~has~~)) "customer," "mobile telecommunications services," and "place of primary use" have the meaning given in RCW 82.04.065.

(b) "Residential customer" means an individual subscribing to a residential class of telephone service.

Sec. 5. RCW 82.14.020 and 1997 c 201 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

For purposes of this chapter:

(1) A retail sale consisting solely of the sale of tangible personal property shall be deemed to have occurred at the retail outlet at or from which delivery is made to the consumer;

(2) A retail sale consisting essentially of the performance of personal business or professional services shall be deemed to have occurred at the place at which such services were primarily performed, except that for the performance of a tow truck service, as defined in RCW 46.55.010, the retail sale shall be deemed to have occurred at the place of business of the operator of the tow truck service;

(3) A retail sale consisting of the rental of tangible personal property shall be deemed to have occurred (a) in the case of a rental involving periodic rental payments, at the primary place of use by the lessee during the period covered by each payment, or (b) in all other cases, at the place of first use by the lessee;

(4) A retail sale within the scope of the second paragraph of RCW 82.04.050, and a retail sale of taxable personal property to be installed by the seller shall be deemed to have occurred at the place where the labor and services involved were primarily performed;

(5) A retail sale consisting of the providing to a consumer of telephone service, as defined in RCW 82.04.065, other than a sale of tangible personal property under subsection (1) of this section or a rental of tangible personal property under subsection (3) of this section, shall be deemed to have occurred at the situs of the telephone or other instrument through which the telephone service is rendered. However, telephone service consisting of mobile telecommunications services deemed to have been provided by a home service provider, as specified in RCW 82.04.065(2), is deemed to have occurred at the customer's place of primary use, regardless of where the mobile telecommunications services originate, terminate, or pass through;

(6) "City" means a city or town;

(7) The meaning ascribed to words and phrases in chapters 82.04, 82.08 and 82.12 RCW, as now or hereafter amended, insofar as applicable, shall have full force and effect with respect to taxes imposed under authority of this chapter;

(8) "Taxable event" shall mean any retail sale, or any use of an article of tangible personal property, upon which a state tax is imposed pursuant to chapter 82.08 or 82.12 RCW, as they now exist or may hereafter be amended: PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That the term shall not include a retail sale taxable pursuant to RCW 82.08.150, as now or hereafter amended;

(9) "Treasurer or other legal depository" shall mean the treasurer or legal depository of a county or city.

Sec. 6. RCW 82.14B.030 and 1998 c 304 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The legislative authority of a county may impose a county enhanced 911 excise tax on the use of switched access lines in an amount not exceeding fifty cents per month for each switched access line. The amount of tax shall be uniform for each switched access line. Each county shall provide notice of such tax to all local exchange companies serving in the county at least sixty days in advance of the date on which the first payment is due.

(2) The legislative authority of a county may also impose a county 911 excise tax on the use of radio access lines located within the county in an amount not exceeding twenty-five cents per month for each radio access line. The location of a radio access line is the user's place of primary use, as defined in RCW 82.04.065. The amount of tax shall be uniform for each radio access line. The county shall provide notice of such tax to all radio communications service companies serving in the county at least sixty days in advance of the date on which the first payment is due. Any county imposing this tax shall include in its ordinance a refund mechanism whereby the amount of any tax ordered to be refunded by the judgment of a court of record, or as a result of the resolution of any appeal therefrom, shall be refunded to the radio communications service company or local exchange company that collected the tax, and those companies shall reimburse the subscribers who paid the tax. The ordinance shall further provide that to the extent the subscribers who paid the tax cannot be identified or located, the tax paid by those subscribers shall be returned to the county.

(3) A state enhanced 911 excise tax is imposed on all switched access lines in the state. The amount of tax shall not exceed twenty cents per month for each switched access line. The tax shall be uniform for each switched access line. The tax imposed under this subsection shall be remitted to the department of revenue by local exchange companies on a tax return provided by the department. Tax proceeds shall be deposited by the treasurer in the enhanced 911 account created in RCW 38.52.540.

(4) By August 31st of each year the state enhanced 911 coordinator shall recommend the level for the next year of the state enhanced 911 excise tax, based on a systematic cost and revenue analysis, to the utilities and transportation commission. The commission shall by the following October 31st determine the level of the state enhanced 911 excise tax for the following year.

Sec. 7. RCW 35.21.714 and 1989 c 103 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Any city which imposes a license fee or tax upon the business activity of engaging in the telephone business, as defined in RCW 82.04.065, which is measured by gross receipts or gross income may impose the fee or tax, if it desires, on one hundred percent of the total gross revenue derived from intrastate toll telephone services subject to the fee or tax((~~: PROVIDED, That~~)), and shall impose the fee or tax upon the gross income of home service providers derived from providing mobile telecommunications services, to the extent the services are included in network telephone service, as defined in RCW 82.04.065, that are charged to customers whose place of primary use is within the city. However, the city shall not impose the fee or tax on that portion of network telephone service, as defined in RCW 82.04.065, which represents charges to another telecommunications company, as defined in RCW 80.04.010, for connecting fees, switching charges, or carrier access charges relating to intrastate toll telephone services, or for access to, or charges for, interstate services, or charges for network telephone service that is purchased for the purpose of resale, or charges for mobile telecommunications services provided to customers whose place of primary use is not within the city.

(2) Any city to which subsection (1) of this section applies has the authority, rights, and obligations of a taxing jurisdiction as set forth in sections 9 through 13 of this act.

(3) As used in this section, "customer," "home service provider," "mobile telecommunications services," and "place of primary use" have the meaning given in RCW 82.04.065.

Sec. 8. RCW 35A.82.060 and 1989 c 103 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Any code city which imposes a license fee or tax upon the business activity of engaging in the telephone business, as defined in RCW 82.04.065, which is measured by gross receipts or gross income may impose the fee or tax, if it desires, on one hundred percent of the total gross revenue derived from intrastate toll telephone services subject to the fee or tax((~~: PROVIDED, That~~)), and shall impose the fee or tax upon the gross income of home service providers derived from providing mobile telecommunications services, to the extent the services are included in network telephone service, as defined in RCW 82.04.065, that are charged to customers whose place of primary use is within the city. However, the city shall not impose the fee or tax on that portion of network telephone service, as defined in RCW 82.04.065, which represents charges to another telecommunications company, as defined in RCW 80.04.010, for connecting fees, switching charges, or carrier access charges relating to intrastate toll telephone services, or for access to, or charges for, interstate services, or charges for network telephone service that is purchased for the purpose of resale, or charges for mobile telecommunications services provided to customers whose place of primary use is not within the city.

(2) Any city to which subsection (1) of this section applies has the authority, rights, and obligations of a taxing jurisdiction as set forth in sections 9 through 13 of this act.

(3) As used in this section, "customer," "home service provider," "mobile telecommunications services," and "place of primary use" have the meaning given in RCW 82.04.065.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. A new section is added to chapter 82.32 RCW to read as follows:

(1)(a) The department may provide an electronic data base to a home service provider, or if the department does not provide an electronic data base to home service providers, then the designated data base provider may provide an electronic data base to a home service provider.

(b)(i) An electronic data base, whether provided by the department or the designated data base provider, shall be provided in a format approved by the American national standards institute's accredited standards committee X12, that after allowing for de minimis deviations, designates for each street address in the state, including to the extent practicable, any multiple postal street addresses applicable to one street location, the appropriate taxing jurisdictions, and the appropriate code for each taxing jurisdiction, for each level of taxing jurisdiction, identified by one nationwide standard numeric code.

(ii) An electronic data base shall also provide the appropriate code for each street address with respect to political subdivisions which are not taxing jurisdictions when reasonably needed to determine the proper taxing jurisdiction.

(iii) The nationwide standard numeric codes shall contain the same number of numeric digits with each digit or combination of digits referring to the same level of taxing jurisdiction throughout the United States using a format similar to FIPS 55-3 or other appropriate standard approved by the federation of tax administrators and the multistate tax commission, or their successors. Each address shall be provided in standard postal format.

(2) The department or designated data base provider, as the case may be, that provides or maintains an electronic data base described in subsection (1) of this section shall provide notice of the availability of the then current electronic data base, and any subsequent revisions, by publication in the manner normally employed for the publication of informational tax, charge, or fee notices to taxpayers in the state.

(3) A home service provider using the data contained in an electronic data base described in subsection (1) of this section shall be held harmless from any tax, charge, or fee liability that otherwise would be due solely as a result of any error or omission in the data base provided by the department or designated data base provider. The home service provider shall reflect changes made to the data base during a calendar quarter not later than thirty days after the end of the calendar quarter if the department or designated data base provider, as the case may be, has issued notice of the availability of an electronic data base reflecting the changes under subsection (2) of this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. A new section is added to chapter 82.32 RCW to read as follows:

(1) If neither the department nor the designated data base provider provides an electronic data base under section 9 of this act, a home service provider shall be held harmless from any tax, charge, or fee liability in any taxing jurisdiction in this state that otherwise would be due solely as a result of an assignment of a street address to an incorrect taxing jurisdiction if, subject to section 11 of this act, the home service provider employs an enhanced zip code to assign each street address to a specific taxing jurisdiction for each level of taxing jurisdiction and exercises due diligence at each level of taxing jurisdiction to ensure that each street address is assigned to the correct taxing jurisdiction. If an enhanced zip code overlaps boundaries of taxing jurisdictions of the same level, the home service provider must designate one specific jurisdiction within the enhanced zip code for use in taxing the activity for such enhanced zip code for each level of taxing jurisdiction. Any enhanced zip code assignment changed in accordance with section 11 of this act is deemed to be in compliance with this section. For purposes of this section, there is a rebuttable presumption that a home service provider has exercised due diligence if the home service provider demonstrates that it has:

(a) Expended reasonable resources to implement and maintain an appropriately detailed electronic data base of street address assignments to taxing jurisdictions;

(b) Implemented and maintained reasonable internal controls to promptly correct misassignments of street addresses to taxing jurisdictions; and

(c) Used all reasonably obtainable and usable data pertaining to municipal annexations, incorporations, reorganizations, and any other changes in jurisdictional boundaries that materially affect the accuracy of the data base.

(2) Subsection (1) of this section applies to a home service provider that is in compliance with the requirements of subsection (1) of this section, if in this state an electronic data base has not been provided under section 9 of this act, until the later of:

(a) Eighteen months after the nationwide standard numeric code described in section 9(1) of this act has been approved by the federation of tax administrators and the multistate tax commission; or

(b) Six months after the department or a designated data base provider in this state provides the data base as prescribed in section 9(1) of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 11. A new section is added to chapter 82.32 RCW to read as follows:

A taxing jurisdiction, or the department on behalf of any taxing jurisdiction or taxing jurisdictions within this state, may:

(1) Determine that the address used for purposes of determining the taxing jurisdictions to which taxes, charges, or fees for mobile telecommunications services are remitted does not meet the definition of place of primary use in RCW 82.04.065 and give binding notice to the home service provider to change the place of primary use on a prospective basis from the date of notice of determination if:

(a) The authority making the determination is not the department, the taxing jurisdiction obtains the consent of all affected taxing jurisdictions within the state before giving the notice of determination; and

(b) Before the taxing jurisdiction gives the notice of determination, the customer is given an opportunity to demonstrate in accordance with applicable state or local tax, charge, or fee administrative procedures that the address is the customer's place of primary use; and

(2) Determine that the assignment of a taxing jurisdiction by a home service provider under section 10 of this act does not reflect the correct taxing jurisdiction and give binding notice to the home service provider to change the assignment on a prospective basis from the date of notice of determination if:

(b) The home service provider is given an opportunity to demonstrate in accordance with applicable state or local tax, charge, or fee administrative procedures that the assignment reflects the correct taxing jurisdiction.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 12. A new section is added to chapter 82.32 RCW to read as follows:

(1) A home service provider is responsible for obtaining and maintaining the customer's place of primary use, as defined in RCW 82.04.065. Subject to section 11 of this act, and if the home service provider's reliance on information provided by its customer is in good faith, a taxing jurisdiction shall:

(a) Allow a home service provider to rely on the applicable residential or business street address supplied by the home service provider's customer; and

(b) Not hold a home service provider liable for any additional taxes, charges, or fees based on a different determination of the place of primary use for taxes, charges, or fees that are customarily charged to or passed on to the customer as a separate itemized charge.

(2) Except as provided in section 11 of this act, a taxing jurisdiction shall allow a home service provider to treat the address used by the home service provider for tax purposes for any customer under a service contract or agreement in effect on August 1, 2002, as that customer's place of primary use for the remaining term of the service contract or agreement, excluding any extension or renewal of the service contract or agreement, for purposes of determining the taxing jurisdictions to which taxes, charges, or fees on charges for mobile telecommunications services are remitted.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 13. A new section is added to chapter 82.32 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Nothing in this act modifies, impairs, supersedes, or authorizes the modification, impairment, or supersession of, any law allowing a taxing jurisdiction to collect a tax, charge, or fee from a customer that has failed to provide its place of primary use.

(2) If a taxing jurisdiction does not otherwise subject charges for mobile telecommunications services to taxation and if these charges are aggregated with and not separately stated from charges that are subject to taxation, then the charges for nontaxable mobile telecommunications services may be subject to taxation unless the home service provider can reasonably identify charges not subject to the tax, charge, or fee from its books and records that are kept in the regular course of business.

(3) If a taxing jurisdiction does not subject charges for mobile telecommunications services to taxation, a customer may not rely upon the nontaxability of charges for mobile telecommunications services unless the customer's home service provider separately states the charges for nontaxable mobile telecommunications services from taxable charges or the home service provider elects, after receiving a written request from the customer in the form required by the provider, to provide verifiable data based upon the home service provider's books and records that are kept in the regular course of business that reasonably identifies the nontaxable charges.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 14. A new section is added to chapter 82.32 RCW to read as follows:

The definitions provided in RCW 82.04.065 apply to sections 9 through 13 of this act as applicable.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 15. A new section is added to chapter 35.21 RCW to read as follows:

(1) If a customer believes that an amount of city tax or an assignment of place of primary use or taxing jurisdiction included on a billing for mobile telecommunications services is erroneous, the customer shall notify the home service provider in writing. The customer shall include in this written notification the street address for the customer's place of primary use, the account name and number for which the customer seeks a correction, a description of the error asserted by the customer, and any other information that the home service provider reasonably requires to process the request. Within sixty days of receiving a notice under this section, the home service provider shall review its records and the electronic data base or enhanced zip code used pursuant to sections 9 and 10 of this act to determine the customer's taxing jurisdiction. If this review shows that the amount of tax, charge, or fee or assignment of place of primary use or taxing jurisdiction is in error, the home service provider shall correct the error and refund or credit the amount of tax, charge, or fee erroneously collected from the customer for a period of up to two years. If this review shows that the amount of tax, charge, or fee or assignment of place of primary use or taxing jurisdiction is correct, the home service provider shall provide a written explanation to the customer.

(2) If the customer is dissatisfied with the response of the home service provider under this section, the customer may seek a correction and/or refund from the affected city.

(3) The procedures in this section are the sole and exclusive remedy available to customers seeking correction of assignment of place of primary use or taxing jurisdiction, or a refund of or other compensation for taxes, charges, and/or fees erroneously collected by the home service provider.

(4) The definitions provided in RCW 82.04.065 apply to this section as applicable.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 16. A new section is added to chapter 35A.82 RCW to read as follows:

(1) If a customer believes that an amount of city tax or an assignment of place of primary use or taxing jurisdiction included on a billing for mobile telecommunications services is erroneous, the customer shall notify the home service provider in writing. The customer shall include in this written notification the street address for the customer's place of primary use, the account name and mobile telephone number for which the customer seeks a correction of the tax, a description of the error asserted by the customer, including the jurisdiction which the customer believes is the correct assignment, if applicable, and the amount of tax the customer believes has been charged in error. Within sixty days of receiving a notice under this section, the home service provider shall review its records and the electronic data base or enhanced zip code used pursuant to sections 9 and 10 of this act to determine the customer's taxing jurisdiction. If this review shows that the amount of tax, charge, or fee or assignment of place of primary use or taxing jurisdiction is in error, the home service provider shall correct the error and refund or credit the amount of tax, charge, or fee erroneously collected from the customer for a period of up to two years. If this review shows that the amount of tax, charge, or fee or assignment of place of primary use or taxing jurisdiction is correct, the home service provider shall provide a written explanation to the customer.

(2) If the customer is dissatisfied with the response of the home service provider under this section, the customer may seek a correction and/or refund from the affected city.

(3) The procedures in this section are the first course of remedy available to customers seeking correction of assignment of place of primary use or taxing jurisdiction, or a refund of or other compensation for taxes, charges, or fees erroneously collected by the home service provider, and no cause of action seeking such correction or refund or other compensation shall be maintained on behalf of a customer unless and until that customer has timely followed the procedures set forth in this section.

(4) The definitions provided in RCW 82.04.065 apply to this section as applicable.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 17. (1) If a court of competent jurisdiction enters a final judgment on the merits that (a) is based on federal law, (b) is no longer subject to appeal, and (c) substantially limits or impairs the essential elements of 4 U.S.C. Secs. 116 through 126, this act shall be deemed invalid and shall have no legal effect as of the date of entry of such judgment.

(2) Except as provided in subsection (1) of this section, if any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid based on federal or state law, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 18. 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 takes effect July 1, 2001. However, the amendments made by this act with respect to tax liabilities apply only to charges on or revenues from customer bills issued on or after August 1, 2002.