S-2042.2  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6139

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Senators Patterson, Constantine, Fairley and Eide

Read first time 03/06/2001.  Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

Assisting schools with airport noise mitigation.

    AN ACT Relating to school construction taxation; adding a new section to chapter 82.32 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that aircraft noise at large airports negatively affects the education of children at schools located near these airports.  It interferes with speech, distracts students and teachers, makes it more difficult to concentrate, and generally interferes with the education process.  When aircraft noise at airports of statewide significance adversely impact local schools, then the state shares in the responsibility to mitigate the impacts.  The legislature finds that the optional noise abatement provisions in chapter 53.54 RCW have not resulted in adequate aircraft noise abatement for many schools located near large airports owned by port districts.  It is the legislature's intent to provide to the public K-12 schools, money for the mitigation of airport noise.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 82.32 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) An amount equal to all sales and use taxes paid under chapters 82.08 and 82.12 RCW on land clearing, earth moving, site preparation, or the constructing, repairing, decorating, renovating, expanding, or improving of new or existing buildings, structures, or facilities, of or for a public school that is within fifteen miles of an airport serving more than twenty scheduled jet aircraft flights per day, shall be deposited into the airport noise mitigation account created in subsection (2) of this section.  For the purposes of this section, "public school" has the meaning provided in RCW 28A.150.010.

    (2) The airport noise mitigation account is created in the custody of the state treasurer.  All receipts from subsection (1) of this section must be deposited in the account.  Monthly, the department of revenue will direct the state treasurer to distribute money in the account to public schools within fifteen miles of an airport serving more than twenty scheduled jet aircraft flights per day that have paid sales and use taxes as provided in subsection (1) of this section.  Public schools receiving money under this section must use the money for constructing, improving, or repairing school facilities when the construction, improvement, or repair is in any way related to or necessitated by airport noise abatement.  The account is subject to the allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.

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