Passed by the House April 24, 2003 Yeas 91 Nays 0 ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate April 14, 2003 Yeas 48 Nays 0 ________________________________________ President of the Senate		CERTIFICATE I, Cynthia Zehnder, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is HOUSE BILL 2001 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. ________________________________________ Chief Clerk
Approved ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington		FILED Secretary of State State of Washington

AN ACT Relating to property tax exemptions for nonprofit organizations supporting artists; amending RCW 84.36.810; adding a new section to chapter 84.36 RCW; and creating a new section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 84.36 RCW to read as follows:
     The real and personal property owned or used by a nonprofit organization is exempt from taxation if the property is used for solicitation or collection of gifts, donations, or grants for the support of individual artists and the organization meets all of the following conditions:
     (1) The organization is organized and conducted for nonsectarian purposes.
     (2) The organization is qualified for exemption under section 501(c)(3) of the federal internal revenue code.
     (3) The organization is governed by a volunteer board of directors of at least eight members.
     (4) If the property is leased, the benefit of the exemption inures to the user.
     (5) The gifts, donations, and grants are used by the organization for grants, fellowships, information services, and educational resources in support of individual artists engaged in the production or performance of musical, dance, artistic, dramatic, or literary works.

Sec. 2   RCW 84.36.810 and 2001 c 126 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1)(a) Upon cessation of a use under which an exemption has been granted pursuant to RCW 84.36.030, 84.36.037, 84.36.040, 84.36.041, 84.36.042, 84.36.043, 84.36.046, 84.36.050, 84.36.060, 84.36.550, section 1 of this act, 84.36.560, and 84.36.570, except as provided in (b) of this subsection, the county treasurer shall collect all taxes which would have been paid had the property not been exempt during the three years preceding, or the life of such exemption, if such be less, together with the interest at the same rate and computed in the same way as that upon delinquent property taxes. If the property has been granted an exemption for more than ten consecutive years, taxes and interest shall not be assessed under this section.
     (b) Upon cessation of use by an institution of higher education of property exempt under RCW 84.36.050(2) the county treasurer shall collect all taxes which would have been paid had the property not been exempt during the seven years preceding, or the life of the exemption, whichever is less.
     (2) Subsection (1) of this section applies only when ownership of the property is transferred or when fifty-one percent or more of the area of the property loses its exempt status. The additional tax under subsection (1) of this section shall not be imposed if the cessation of use resulted solely from:
     (a) Transfer to a nonprofit organization, association, or corporation for a use which also qualifies and is granted exemption under this chapter;
     (b) A taking through the exercise of the power of eminent domain, or sale or transfer to an entity having the power of eminent domain in anticipation of the exercise of such power;
     (c) Official action by an agency of the state of Washington or by the county or city within which the property is located which disallows the present use of such property;
     (d) A natural disaster such as a flood, windstorm, earthquake, or other such calamity rather than by virtue of the act of the organization, association, or corporation changing the use of such property;
     (e) Relocation of the activity and use of another location or site except for undeveloped properties of camp facilities exempted under RCW 84.36.030;
     (f) Cancellation of a lease on leased property that had been exempt under this chapter ((~~or RCW 84.36.560~~)); or
     (g) A change in the exempt portion of a home for the aging under RCW 84.36.041(3), as long as some portion of the home remains exempt.
     (3) Subsections (2)(e) and (f) of this section do not apply to property leased to a state institution of higher education and exempt under RCW 84.36.050(2).

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 This act applies to taxes levied for collection in 2004 and thereafter.