Sponsors: By House Committee on Trade & Economic Development (originally sponsored by Representatives Rockefeller, Eickmeyer, McIntire, Lantz, Woods and Haigh).

Brief Summary of Engrossed Substitute Bill

• Authorizes a public facilities district created after January 1, 2000, to acquire, construct, own, remodel, maintain, equip, reequip, repair and operate a sports and recreation facility, other than a ski area.

• Allows a public facilities district located in a county with a population over 150,000, that is contiguous to an international boundary, and that commences construction of a new regional center before January 1, 2005, may impose a sales and use tax.

• Authorizes the imposition of a sales and use tax for a regional center in a public facilities district if that public facilities district is created between July 1, 2003 and June 30, 2005 and that construction, improvement or rehabilitation of a regional center commences by January 1, 2006.

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 9 members: Representatives Veloria, Chair; Eickmeyer, Vice Chair; Skinner, Ranking Minority Member; McDonald, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Blake, Chase, McCoy, Pettigrew and Priest.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 2 members: Representatives Condotta and Kristiansen.

A public facilities district may be created upon adoption of a resolution by the county legislative authority in which the proposed district is located. A public facilities district is a municipal corporation, and independent taxing authority within the meaning of Article VII, Section 1 of the State Constitution, and a taxing district within the meaning of Article VII, Section 2 of the State Constitution. A public facilities district is a body corporate and possesses all the usual powers of a corporation for public purposes or specially conferred by statute.

A public facilities district is authorized to acquire, construct, own, remodel, maintain, equip, reequip, repair, and operate sports facilities, entertainment facilities, convention facilities or regional centers, together with contiguous parking facilities.

A public facilities district created after January 1, 2000, may acquire, construct, own, remodel, maintain, equip, reequip, repair and operate regional centers which include: sports and recreation facilities, excluding ski areas; entertainment facilities; or convention facilities.

A public facilities district located in a county with a population over 150,000, that is contiguous to an international boundary, and that commences construction of a new regional center before January 1, 2005, may impose the sales and use tax to finance the regional center.

Public facilities districts created between July 1, 2003, and June 30, 2005, that commences construction, improvement or rehabilitation of a regional center prior to January 1, 2006, may impose a sales and use tax to finance the regional center.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: This bill does not simply broaden what a public facilities district can do, but broadens the benefits to a community. This is about improving the quality of life of a particular public facilities district.

(With concerns) There is a need to limit the scope of the bill. Public facilities districts are intended to accomplish things that are too large for a single smaller local government to do on its own.

Testified: (In support) Representative Rockefeller, prime sponsor; and Anne Blair and Rick Smith, Kitsap Public Facilities District.