SSB 5525 -
By Committee on Ways & Means
ADOPTED 04/05/2011
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"Sec. 1 RCW 39.100.010 and 2007 c 266 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter
unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Benefit zone" means the geographic zone from which taxes are
to be appropriated to finance public improvements authorized under this
chapter and in which a hospital that has received a certificate of need
is to be constructed.
(2) "Department" means the department of revenue.
(3) "Local government" means any city, town, county, or any
combination thereof.
(4) "Ordinance" means any appropriate method of taking legislative
action by a local government.
(5) "Participating taxing authority" means a taxing authority that
has entered into a written agreement with a local government for the
use of hospital benefit zone financing to the extent of allocating
excess local excise taxes to the local government for the purpose of
financing all or a portion of the costs of designated public
improvements.
(6) "Public improvements" means:
(a) Infrastructure improvements within the benefit zone that
include:
(((a))) (i) Street and road construction and maintenance;
(((b))) (ii) Water and sewer system construction and improvements;
(((c))) (iii) Sidewalks and streetlights;
(((d))) (iv) Parking, terminal, and dock facilities;
(((e))) (v) Park and ride facilities of a transit authority;
(((f))) (vi) Park facilities and recreational areas; and
(((g))) (vii) Storm water and drainage management systems; and
(b) The construction, maintenance, and improvement of state
highways that are connected to the benefit zone, including interchanges
connected to the benefit zone.
(7) "Public improvement costs" means the costs of: (a) Design,
planning, acquisition including land acquisition, site preparation
including land clearing, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation,
improvement, and installation of public improvements; (b) demolishing,
relocating, maintaining, and operating property pending construction of
public improvements; (c) relocating utilities as a result of public
improvements; and (d) financing public improvements, including interest
during construction, legal and other professional services, taxes,
insurance, principal and interest costs on indebtedness issued to
finance public improvements, and any necessary reserves for
indebtedness; and administrative expenses and feasibility studies
reasonably necessary and related to these costs, including related
costs that may have been incurred before adoption of the ordinance
authorizing the public improvements and the use of hospital benefit
zone financing to fund the costs of the public improvements.
(8) "Tax allocation revenues" means those tax revenues derived from
the receipt of excess local excise taxes under RCW 39.100.050 and
distributed by a local government, participating taxing authority, or
both, to finance public improvements.
(9) "Taxing authority" means a governmental entity that imposes a
sales or use tax under chapter 82.14 RCW upon the occurrence of any
taxable event within a proposed or approved benefit zone.
Sec. 2 RCW 39.100.020 and 2007 c 266 s 3 are each amended to read
as follows:
A local government may finance public improvements using hospital
benefit zone financing subject to the following conditions:
(1)(a) The local government adopts an ordinance designating a
benefit zone within its boundaries and specifying the public
improvements proposed to be financed in whole or in part with the use
of hospital benefit zone financing;
(b) A local government may modify the public improvements to be
financed in whole or in part with the use of hospital benefit zone
financing by amending the ordinance adopted under (a) of this
subsection and holding a public hearing consistent with RCW
39.100.030(1)(b); provided that the total cost of the public
improvements is not increased;
(2) The public improvements proposed to be financed in whole or in
part using hospital benefit zone financing are expected both to
encourage private development within the benefit zone and to support
the development of a hospital that has received a certificate of need;
(3) Private development that is anticipated to occur within the
benefit zone, as a result of the public improvements, will be
consistent with the countywide planning policy adopted by the county
under RCW 36.70A.210 and the local government's comprehensive plan and
development regulations adopted under chapter 36.70A RCW;
(4) The governing body of the local government finds that the
public improvements proposed to be financed in whole or in part using
hospital benefit zone financing are reasonably likely to:
(a) Increase private investment within the benefit zone;
(b) Increase employment within the benefit zone; and
(c) Generate, over the period of time that the local sales and use
tax will be imposed under RCW 82.14.465, excess state excise taxes that
are equal to or greater than the state contributions made under this
chapter;
(5) The boundaries of a hospital benefit zone may not overlap any
part of the boundaries of another hospital benefit zone or a revenue
development area defined in chapter 39.102 RCW; and
(6) The boundaries of a hospital benefit zone may not change once
the hospital benefit zone is established and approved by the
department.
Sec. 3 RCW 82.14.465 and 2009 c 535 s 1109 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A city, town, or county that creates a benefit zone and
finances public improvements pursuant to chapter 39.100 RCW may impose
a sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this chapter and
subject to the criteria set forth in this section. Except as provided
in this section, the tax is in addition to other taxes authorized by
law and ((shall)) must be collected from those persons who are taxable
by the state under chapters 82.08 and 82.12 RCW upon the occurrence of
any taxable event within the taxing jurisdiction of the city, town, or
county. The rate of tax ((shall)) may not exceed the rate provided in
RCW 82.08.020(1) in the case of a sales tax or a use tax, less the
aggregate rates of any other taxes imposed on the same events that are
credited against the state taxes imposed under chapters 82.08 and 82.12
RCW. The tax rate ((shall)) may be no higher than what is reasonably
necessary for the local government to receive its entire annual state
contribution in a ten-month period of time.
(2) The tax imposed under subsection (1) of this section ((shall))
must be deducted from the amount of tax otherwise required to be
collected or paid over to the department under chapter 82.08 or 82.12
RCW. The department ((shall)) must perform the collection of such
taxes on behalf of the city, town, or county at no cost to the city,
town, or county.
(3) No tax may be imposed under this section before July 1, 2007.
Before imposing a tax under this section, the city, town, or county
shall first have received tax allocation revenues during the preceding
calendar year. The tax imposed under this section ((shall)) expires on
the earlier of the date: (a) The tax allocation revenues are no longer
used for public improvements and public improvement costs; (b) the
bonds issued ((under the authority of chapter 39.100 RCW are retired))
to finance or refinance the improvements are no longer outstanding, if
the bonds are issued; or (c) that is thirty years after the tax is
first imposed.
(4) An ordinance adopted by the legislative authority of a city,
town, or county imposing a tax under this section ((shall)) must
provide that:
(a) The tax ((shall)) is first ((be)) imposed on the first day of
a fiscal year;
(b) The amount of tax received by the local government in any
fiscal year ((shall)) may not exceed the amount of the state
contribution;
(c) The tax ((shall)) must cease to be distributed for the
remainder of any fiscal year in which either:
(i) The amount of tax distributions totals the amount of the state
contribution;
(ii) The amount of tax distributions totals the amount of local
public sources, dedicated in the previous calendar year to finance
public improvements authorized under chapter 39.100 RCW, expended in
the previous year for public improvement costs, or used to pay for
other bonds issued to pay for public improvements. Revenues from local
public sources, including hospital sources identified in RCW
82.14.465(7)(k), dedicated in the preceding calendar year that are in
excess of the project award may be carried forward and used in later
years for the purpose of this subsection; or
(iii) The amount of revenue from taxes imposed under this section
by all cities, towns, and counties totals the annual state credit limit
as provided in RCW 82.32.700(3);
(d) The tax ((shall)) must be distributed again, should it cease to
be distributed for any of the reasons provided in (c) of this
subsection, at the beginning of the next fiscal year, subject to the
restrictions in this section; and
(e) Any revenue generated by the tax in excess of the amounts
specified in (b) and (c) of this subsection ((shall)) belong to the
state of Washington.
(5) If both a county and a city or town impose a tax under this
section, the tax imposed by the city, town, or county ((shall be)) is
credited as follows:
(a) If the county has created a benefit zone before the city or
town, the tax imposed by the county ((shall be)) is credited against
the tax imposed by the city or town, the purpose of such credit is to
give priority to the county tax; and
(b) If the city or town has created a benefit zone before the
county, the tax imposed by the city or town ((shall be)) is credited
against the tax imposed by the county, the purpose of such credit is to
give priority to the city or town tax.
(6) The department ((shall)) must determine the amount of tax
distributions attributable to each city, town, and county imposing a
sales and use tax under this section and ((shall)) must advise a city,
town, or county when the tax will cease to be distributed for the
remainder of the fiscal year as provided in subsection (4)(c) of this
section. Determinations by the department of the amount of taxes
attributable to a city, town, or county are final and ((shall)) may not
be used to challenge the validity of any tax imposed under this
section. The department ((shall)) must remit any tax revenues in
excess of the amounts specified in subsection (4)(b) and (c) of this
section to the state treasurer who ((shall)) must deposit the moneys in
the general fund.
(7) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this
section and RCW 82.14.470 unless the context clearly requires
otherwise.
(a) "Base year" means the calendar year immediately following the
creation of a benefit zone.
(b) "Benefit zone" has the same meaning as provided in RCW
39.100.010.
(c) "Excess local excise taxes" has the same meaning as provided in
RCW 39.100.050.
(d) "Excess state excise taxes" means the amount of excise taxes
received by the state during the measurement year from taxable activity
within the benefit zone over and above the amount of excise taxes
received by the state during the base year from taxable activity within
the benefit zone. However, if a local government creates the benefit
zone and reasonably determines that no activity subject to tax under
chapters 82.08 and 82.12 RCW occurred in the twelve months immediately
preceding the creation of the benefit zone within the boundaries of the
area that became the benefit zone, "excess state excise taxes" means
the entire amount of state excise taxes the state receives during a
calendar year period beginning with the calendar year immediately
following the creation of the benefit zone and continuing with each
measurement year thereafter.
(e) "State excise taxes" means revenues derived from state retail
sales and use taxes under chapters 82.08 and 82.12 RCW, less the amount
of tax distributions from all local retail sales and use taxes imposed
on the same taxable events that are credited against the state retail
sales and use taxes under chapters 82.08 and 82.12 RCW except for the
local tax authorized in this section.
(f) "Fiscal year" has the same meaning as provided in RCW
39.100.030.
(g) "Measurement year" means a calendar year, beginning with the
calendar year following the base year and each calendar year
thereafter, that is used annually to measure the amount of excess state
excise taxes and excess local excise taxes.
(h) "State contribution" means the lesser of two million dollars or
an amount equal to excess state excise taxes received by the state
during the preceding calendar year.
(i) "Tax allocation revenues" has the same meaning as provided in
RCW 39.100.010.
(j) "Public improvements" and "public improvement costs" have the
same meanings as provided in RCW 39.100.010.
(k) "Local public sources" includes, but is not limited to, private
monetary contributions, assessments, dedicated local government funds,
and tax allocation revenues. "Local public sources" does not include
local government funds derived from the state-subsidized portion of any
state loan or state grant, any local tax that is credited against the
state sales and use taxes, or any other state funds. Local public
sources may include amounts expended by a hospital in the zone since
the date of formation of the zone and may be applied to the year or
years designated by the local government.
Sec. 4 RCW 82.14.470 and 2007 c 266 s 8 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1)(a)(i) Moneys collected from the taxes imposed under RCW
82.14.465 ((shall)) may be used only for the following purposes:
(A) Principal and interest payments on bonds issued to finance or
refinance public improvements in a benefit zone under the authority of
RCW 39.100.060;
(B) Principal and interest payments on other bonds issued by the
local government to finance public improvements; or
(C) Payments for public improvement costs.
(ii) Moneys collected and used as provided in (a)(i) of this
subsection must be matched with an amount from local public sources
dedicated, as further provided in RCW 82.14.465 (4)(c)(ii) and (7)(k),
through December 31st of the previous calendar year to finance public
improvements authorized under chapter 39.100 RCW.
(b) Local public sources are dedicated to finance public
improvements if they: (i) Are actually expended to pay public
improvement costs or debt service on bonds issued for public
improvements; or (ii) are required by law or an agreement to be used
exclusively to pay public improvement costs or debt service on bonds
issued for public improvements.
(c) A city, town, or county is not required to expend taxes imposed
under RCW 82.14.465 in the fiscal year in which the taxes are received.
(2) A local government ((shall)) must inform the department by the
first day of March of the amount of local public sources ((dedicated
in)) allocated to the preceding calendar year to finance public
improvements authorized under chapter 39.100 RCW.
(3) If a local government fails to comply with subsection (2) of
this section, no tax may be imposed under RCW 82.14.465 in the
subsequent fiscal year.
(4)(a) A local government ((shall)) must provide a report to the
department and the state auditor by March 1st of each year. A local
government ((shall)) must make a good faith effort to provide
information required for the report.
(b) The report ((shall)) must contain the following information:
(((a))) (i) The amount of tax allocation revenues, taxes under RCW
82.14.465, and local public sources received by the local government
during the preceding calendar year, and a summary of how these revenues
were expended; and
(((b))) (ii) The names of any businesses known to the local
government that have located within the benefit zone as a result of the
public improvements undertaken by the local government and financed in
whole or in part with hospital benefit zone financing.
(5) The department ((shall)) must make a report available to the
public and the legislature by June 1st of each year. The report
((shall)) must include a list of public improvements undertaken by
local governments and financed in whole or in part with hospital
benefit zone financing, and it ((shall)) must also include a summary of
the information provided to the department by local governments under
subsection (4) of this section."
Correct the title.