"NEW SECTION.  Sec. 57   A new section is added to chapter 35.102 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, all cities that impose a business and occupation tax under this chapter must have by July 1, 2016, their general business licenses issued and renewed, if the license is required to be renewed, through the business licensing system in accordance with chapter 19.02 RCW or through a city-developed portal.
     (2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, by January 1, 2019, all cities that require general business licenses and that do not impose a business and occupation tax must have such licenses issued and renewed, if the license is required to be renewed, through the business licensing system in accordance with chapter 19.02 RCW or through a city-developed portal.
     (3) The department may delay or phase-in the issuance and renewal of general business licenses beyond the dates provided in subsections (1) and (2) of this section if funding or other resources are insufficient to enable the department to meet the deadlines in subsection (1) or (2) of this section or as necessary to ensure the business licensing system is adequately prepared to handle all general business licenses and that the transition to mandatory department issuance and renewal of general business licenses is as seamless as possible. To that end, the department, working with affected cities, is authorized to establish a schedule for assuming the issuance and renewal of general business licenses as required by this section. Cities may continue to issue and renew their general business licenses until those licenses have been incorporated into the business licensing system. A city whose general business license has been incorporated into the business licensing system may no longer issue and renew those licenses.
     (4) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (a) "Business and occupation tax" has the same meaning as in RCW 35.102.030.
     (b) "City-developed portal" means a single portal with at least five participating cities that allows for the issuance or renewal of general business licenses for all participating cities."