AN ACT Relating to
local effort assistance; amending RCW 28A.500.030; creating new sections;
providing an expiration 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 purpose of the local effort assistance program is stated in RCW
28A.500.010 as follows: "The purpose of these funds is to mitigate the
effect that above average property tax rates might have on the ability of a
school district to raise local revenues to supplement the state's basic program
of education. These funds serve to equalize the property tax rates that
individual taxpayers would pay for such levies and to provide tax relief to
taxpayers in high tax rate school districts."
The legislature further
finds that changes in state and federal funding that have taken place since the
local effort assistance program began in 1989 make it necessary to reexamine
the local effort assistance funding formula and to determine whether the
purpose of the program is being fulfilled.
NEW SECTION. Sec.
2. (1) The joint task force
on local effort assistance is created, to consist of nineteen members:
(a) Six members of the
house of representatives, three appointed by the speaker of the house of
representatives and three appointed by the minority leader;
(b) Six members of the
senate, three appointed by the majority leader and three appointed by the
minority leader;
(c) The superintendent
of public instruction;
(d) A member chosen by
the Washington state school directors' association;
(e) A member chosen by
the Washington association of school administrators;
(f) A member chosen by
the rural education center;
(g) A fiscal officer of
an educational service district chosen by the superintendent of public
instruction in consultation with the superintendents of the educational service
districts; and
(h) Two members from
school districts with student enrollments greater than twenty thousand, chosen
by the office of the superintendent of public instruction.
(2) Legislative members
of the task force shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW
44.04.120. The staff of the office of superintendent of public instruction,
senate committee services, and the office of program research of the house of
representatives shall provide support to the task force.
(3) The task force
shall be cochaired by one senator, chosen by the task force, and one
representative, chosen by the task force. The task force shall establish rules
of procedure at its first meeting.
(4) The task force
shall seek input and advice from stakeholders.
NEW SECTION. Sec.
3. The joint task force on
local effort assistance shall:
(1) Complete a thorough
analysis of the history of the local effort assistance program and its impacts,
including a thorough examination of the revenues included in the levy base;
(2) Determine whether
the purpose of the local effort assistance program, as stated in RCW
28A.500.010, is being met under the current allocation formula; and
(3) Present its
findings and provide recommendations to the legislature by December 1, 2002.
Sec. 4. RCW 28A.500.030 and 1999
c 317 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
Allocation of state
matching funds to eligible districts for local effort assistance shall be
determined as follows:
(1) Funds raised by the
district through maintenance and operation levies shall be matched with state
funds using the following ratio of state funds to levy funds:
(a) The difference
between the district's twelve percent levy rate and the statewide average
twelve percent levy rate; to
(b) The statewide
average twelve percent levy rate.
(2) The maximum amount
of state matching funds for districts eligible for local effort assistance
shall be the district's twelve percent levy amount, multiplied by the following
percentage:
(a) The difference
between the district's twelve percent levy rate and the statewide average
twelve percent levy rate; divided by
(b) The district's
twelve percent levy rate.
(3) Calendar year
2003 allocations and maximum eligibility under this chapter shall be multiplied
by 0.99.
NEW SECTION. Sec.
5. Sections 1 through 3 of
this act expire December 31, 2002.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 6. 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
immediately.
