FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 2627

C 136 L 18

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Concerning authorizations of proposals for emergency medical care and service levies.

Sponsors: House Committee on Finance (originally sponsored by Representatives Springer and Stokesbary).

House Committee on Finance

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Background:

Emergency Medical Service Levy.

An emergency medical service (EMS) levy is a regular voter-approved property tax levy used to provide emergency medical care or services. An EMS levy may be authorized for six years, 10 years, or permanently. An EMS levy must be approved by 60 percent of registered voters when the voter turnout exceeds 40 percent of the voter turnout at the last general election. When the turnout is less than 40 percent of voter turnout at the last general election, the "yes" votes must exceed 24 percent of the total number of votes in the last general election. If approved, a taxing district may impose a regular property tax levy at a rate not to exceed 50 cents per $1,000 assessed value.

Taxing districts that are permitted to seek authorization for an EMS levy are counties, emergency medical service districts, cities or towns, public hospital districts, urban emergency medical service districts, regional fire protection authorities, and fire protection districts.

The uninterrupted continuation of a six-year or 10-year EMS levy that has a maximum levy rate the same as or lower than the prior voter-approved levy requires simple majority voter approval. If the maximum tax rate is higher than the prior voter-approved levy, the levy requires supermajority voter approval.

A countywide levy proposal may not be placed on a ballot without approval of the legislative authority of every city in the county that has a population in excess of 50,000.

Summary:

Taxing districts are permitted to continue an existing six-year or 10-year levy with simple majority ballot approval, regardless of whether the tax rate increases, decreases, or remains the same.

In order to include a countywide EMS levy on a ballot, 75 percent of the cities with a population greater than 50,000 must approve the ballot measure.

A newly formed regional fire protection service authority may initially impose a 6-year or 10-year emergency service levy with a simple majority vote, if the entire region comprising the newly formed authority was subject to an EMS levy immediately prior to the creation of the authority.

Votes on Final Passage: