S-0296.1

SENATE BILL 5068

BySenators MacEwen, Gildon, Mullet, Warnick, and L. Wilson

AN ACT Relating to dedicating the state sales tax on motor vehicles for transportation; amending RCW 82.08.020, 82.12.020, and 43.84.092; adding a new section to chapter 46.68 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 2. RCW 82.08.020 and 2022 c 16 s 145 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) There is levied and collected a tax equal to six and five-tenths percent of the selling price on each retail sale in this state of:

(a) Tangible personal property, unless the sale is specifically excluded from the RCW 82.04.050 definition of retail sale;

(b) Digital goods, digital codes, and digital automated services, if the sale is included within the RCW 82.04.050 definition of retail sale;

(c) Services, other than digital automated services, included within the RCW 82.04.050 definition of retail sale;

(d) Extended warranties to consumers; and

(e) Anything else, the sale of which is included within the RCW 82.04.050 definition of retail sale.

(2) There is levied and collected an additional tax on each retail car rental, regardless of whether the vehicle is licensed in this state, equal to five and nine-tenths percent of the selling price. The revenue collected under this subsection must be deposited in the multimodal transportation account created in RCW 47.66.070.

(3)(a) Beginning July 1, 2003, there is levied and collected an additional tax of three-tenths of one percent of the selling price on each retail sale of a motor vehicle in this state, other than retail car rentals taxed under subsection (2) of this section. The revenue collected under this subsection must be deposited in the multimodal transportation account created in RCW 47.66.070.

(4)(( For purposes of subsection (3) of this section, "motor vehicle" has the meaning provided in RCW 46.04.320, but does not include:

(d) Snowmobiles as defined in RCW 46.04.546.))(a) Beginning July 1, 2025, and every year thereafter, 10 percent of all revenue collected under subsection (1) of this section on each new and used retail sale of a vehicle in this state, including private party sales, but excluding retail car rentals taxed under subsection (2) of this section, must be deposited into the transportation preservation and maintenance account.

(5) Beginning on December 8, 2005, 0.16 percent of the taxes collected under subsection (1) of this section must be dedicated to funding comprehensive performance audits required under RCW 43.09.470. The revenue identified in this subsection must be deposited in the performance audits of government account created in RCW 43.09.475.

(6) The taxes imposed under this chapter apply to successive retail sales of the same property.

(7) The rates provided in this section apply to taxes imposed under chapter 82.12 RCW as provided in RCW 82.12.020.

Sec. 3. RCW 82.12.020 and 2017 c 323 s 520 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) There is levied and collected from every person in this state a tax or excise for the privilege of using within this state as a consumer any:

(a) Article of tangible personal property acquired by the user in any manner, including tangible personal property acquired at a casual or isolated sale, and including by-products used by the manufacturer thereof, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, irrespective of whether the article or similar articles are manufactured or are available for purchase within this state;

(b) Prewritten computer software, regardless of the method of delivery, but excluding prewritten computer software that is either provided free of charge or is provided for temporary use in viewing information, or both;

(c) Services defined as a retail sale in RCW 82.04.050 (2) (a) or (g) or (6)(c), excluding services defined as a retail sale in RCW 82.04.050(6)(c) that are provided free of charge;

(d) Extended warranty; or

(e)(i) Digital good, digital code, or digital automated service, including the use of any services provided by a seller exclusively in connection with digital goods, digital codes, or digital automated services, whether or not a separate charge is made for such services.

(ii) With respect to the use of digital goods, digital automated services, and digital codes acquired by purchase, the tax imposed in this subsection (1)(e) applies in respect to:

(A) Sales in which the seller has granted the purchaser the right of permanent use;

(B) Sales in which the seller has granted the purchaser a right of use that is less than permanent;

(C) Sales in which the purchaser is not obligated to make continued payment as a condition of the sale; and

(D) Sales in which the purchaser is obligated to make continued payment as a condition of the sale.

(iii) With respect to digital goods, digital automated services, and digital codes acquired other than by purchase, the tax imposed in this subsection (1)(e) applies regardless of whether or not the consumer has a right of permanent use or is obligated to make continued payment as a condition of use.

(2) The provisions of this chapter do not apply in respect to the use of any article of tangible personal property, extended warranty, digital good, digital code, digital automated service, or service taxable under RCW 82.04.050 (2) (a) or (g) or (6)(c), if the sale to, or the use by, the present user or the present user's bailor or donor has already been subjected to the tax under chapter 82.08 RCW or this chapter and the tax has been paid by the present user or by the present user's bailor or donor.

(3)(a) Except as provided in this section, payment of the tax imposed by this chapter or chapter 82.08 RCW by one purchaser or user of tangible personal property, extended warranty, digital good, digital code, digital automated service, or other service does not have the effect of exempting any other purchaser or user of the same property, extended warranty, digital good, digital code, digital automated service, or other service from the taxes imposed by such chapters.

(b) The tax imposed by this chapter does not apply:

(i) If the sale to, or the use by, the present user or his or her bailor or donor has already been subjected to the tax under chapter 82.08 RCW or this chapter and the tax has been paid by the present user or by his or her bailor or donor;

(ii) In respect to the use of any article of tangible personal property acquired by bailment and the tax has once been paid based on reasonable rental as determined by RCW 82.12.060 measured by the value of the article at time of first use multiplied by the tax rate imposed by chapter 82.08 RCW or this chapter as of the time of first use;

(iii) In respect to the use of any article of tangible personal property acquired by bailment, if the property was acquired by a previous bailee from the same bailor for use in the same general activity and the original bailment was prior to June 9, 1961; or

(iv) To the use of digital goods or digital automated services, which were obtained through the use of a digital code, if the sale of the digital code to, or the use of the digital code by, the present user or the present user's bailor or donor has already been subjected to the tax under chapter 82.08 RCW or this chapter and the tax has been paid by the present user or by the present user's bailor or donor.

(4)(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection (4), the tax is levied and must be collected in an amount equal to the value of the article used, value of the digital good or digital code used, value of the extended warranty used, or value of the service used by the taxpayer, multiplied by the applicable rates in effect for the retail sales tax under RCW 82.08.020.

(b) In the case of a seller required to collect use tax from the purchaser, the tax must be collected in an amount equal to the purchase price multiplied by the applicable rate in effect for the retail sales tax under RCW 82.08.020.

(5) For purposes of the tax imposed in this section, "person" includes anyone within the definition of "buyer," "purchaser," and "consumer" in RCW 82.08.010.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 46.68 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The transportation preservation and maintenance account is created in the state treasury. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may be used only for transportation projects, programs, or activities.

(2) All sales and use tax revenues on new and used vehicles deposited into the transportation preservation and maintenance account pursuant to RCW 82.08.020 and 82.12.020 must be used exclusively on a cash funding basis for transportation projects, programs, and activities, including reducing the reliance on transportation-related debt obligations pursuant to subsection (3) of this section. All sales and use tax revenues on new and used vehicles deposited into the transportation preservation and maintenance account pursuant to RCW 82.08.020 and 82.12.020 cannot be used for any new revenue bond issues or used as a source for any other type of debt or similar type of financing mechanism.

(3) Part of the purpose in the allocation of additional resources from the sales and use tax revenues on new and used vehicles into the transportation preservation and maintenance account pursuant to RCW 82.08.020 and 82.12.020 is to lower the overall reliance on debt financing for transportation projects and infrastructure. Beginning December 1, 2025, and each two years thereafter, the state treasurer must prepare a report that shows the impact of this act on the reliance of debt financing for transportation appropriations.

(4) Nothing in this section may be construed so as to violate any terms or conditions contained in any highway construction bond issues now or hereafter authorized by statute and whose payment is by such statute pledged to be paid from any excise taxes on fuel.

Sec. 5. RCW 43.84.092 and 2022 c 182 s 404 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) All earnings of investments of surplus balances in the state treasury shall be deposited to the treasury income account, which account is hereby established in the state treasury.

(2) The treasury income account shall be utilized to pay or receive funds associated with federal programs as required by the federal cash management improvement act of 1990. The treasury income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for refunds or allocations of interest earnings required by the cash management improvement act. Refunds of interest to the federal treasury required under the cash management improvement act fall under RCW 43.88.180 and shall not require appropriation. The office of financial management shall determine the amounts due to or from the federal government pursuant to the cash management improvement act. The office of financial management may direct transfers of funds between accounts as deemed necessary to implement the provisions of the cash management improvement act, and this subsection. Refunds or allocations shall occur prior to the distributions of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.

(3) Except for the provisions of RCW 43.84.160, the treasury income account may be utilized for the payment of purchased banking services on behalf of treasury funds including, but not limited to, depository, safekeeping, and disbursement functions for the state treasury and affected state agencies. The treasury income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for payments to financial institutions. Payments shall occur prior to distribution of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.

(4) Monthly, the state treasurer shall distribute the earnings credited to the treasury income account. The state treasurer shall credit the general fund with all the earnings credited to the treasury income account except:

(a) The following accounts and funds shall receive their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's and fund's average daily balance for the period: The abandoned recreational vehicle disposal account, the aeronautics account, the Alaskan Way viaduct replacement project account, the brownfield redevelopment trust fund account, the budget stabilization account, the capital vessel replacement account, the capitol building construction account, the Central Washington University capital projects account, the charitable, educational, penal and reformatory institutions account, the Chehalis basin account, the Chehalis basin taxable account, the cleanup settlement account, the climate active transportation account, the climate transit programs account, the Columbia river basin water supply development account, the Columbia river basin taxable bond water supply development account, the Columbia river basin water supply revenue recovery account, the common school construction fund, the community forest trust account, the connecting Washington account, the county arterial preservation account, the county criminal justice assistance account, the deferred compensation administrative account, the deferred compensation principal account, the department of licensing services account, the department of retirement systems expense account, the developmental disabilities community services account, the diesel idle reduction account, the drinking water assistance account, the administrative subaccount of the drinking water assistance account, the early learning facilities development account, the early learning facilities revolving account, the Eastern Washington University capital projects account, the education construction fund, the education legacy trust account, the election account, the electric vehicle account, the energy freedom account, the energy recovery act account, the essential rail assistance account, The Evergreen State College capital projects account, the fair start for kids account, the ferry bond retirement fund, the fish, wildlife, and conservation account, the freight mobility investment account, the freight mobility multimodal account, the grade crossing protective fund, the public health services account, the state higher education construction account, the higher education construction account, the higher education retirement plan supplemental benefit fund, the highway bond retirement fund, the highway infrastructure account, the highway safety fund, the hospital safety net assessment fund, the Interstate 405 and state route number 167 express toll lanes account, the judges' retirement account, the judicial retirement administrative account, the judicial retirement principal account, the limited fish and wildlife account, the local leasehold excise tax account, the local real estate excise tax account, the local sales and use tax account, the marine resources stewardship trust account, the medical aid account, the money-purchase retirement savings administrative account, the money-purchase retirement savings principal account, the motor vehicle fund, the motorcycle safety education account, the move ahead WA account, the move ahead WA flexible account, the multimodal transportation account, the multiuse roadway safety account, the municipal criminal justice assistance account, the oyster reserve land account, the pension funding stabilization account, the perpetual surveillance and maintenance account, the pilotage account, the pollution liability insurance agency underground storage tank revolving account, the public employees' retirement system plan 1 account, the public employees' retirement system combined plan 2 and plan 3 account, the public facilities construction loan revolving account, the public health supplemental account, the public works assistance account, the Puget Sound capital construction account, the Puget Sound ferry operations account, the Puget Sound Gateway facility account, the Puget Sound taxpayer accountability account, the real estate appraiser commission account, the recreational vehicle account, the regional mobility grant program account, the resource management cost account, the rural arterial trust account, the rural mobility grant program account, the rural Washington loan fund, the sexual assault prevention and response account, the site closure account, the skilled nursing facility safety net trust fund, the small city pavement and sidewalk account, the special category C account, the special wildlife account, the state investment board expense account, the state investment board commingled trust fund accounts, the state patrol highway account, the state reclamation revolving account, the state route number 520 civil penalties account, the state route number 520 corridor account, the statewide broadband account, the statewide tourism marketing account, the supplemental pension account, the Tacoma Narrows toll bridge account, the teachers' retirement system plan 1 account, the teachers' retirement system combined plan 2 and plan 3 account, the tobacco prevention and control account, the tobacco settlement account, the toll facility bond retirement account, the transportation 2003 account (nickel account), the transportation equipment fund, the transportation future funding program account, the transportation improvement account, the transportation improvement board bond retirement account, the transportation infrastructure account, the transportation partnership account, the transportation preservation and maintenance account, the traumatic brain injury account, the University of Washington bond retirement fund, the University of Washington building account, the voluntary cleanup account, the volunteer firefighters' and reserve officers' relief and pension principal fund, the volunteer firefighters' and reserve officers' administrative fund, the vulnerable roadway user education account, the Washington judicial retirement system account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and firefighters' system plan 1 retirement account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and firefighters' system plan 2 retirement account, the Washington public safety employees' plan 2 retirement account, the Washington school employees' retirement system combined plan 2 and 3 account, the Washington state patrol retirement account, the Washington State University building account, the Washington State University bond retirement fund, the water pollution control revolving administration account, the water pollution control revolving fund, the Western Washington University capital projects account, the Yakima integrated plan implementation account, the Yakima integrated plan implementation revenue recovery account, and the Yakima integrated plan implementation taxable bond account. Earnings derived from investing balances of the agricultural permanent fund, the normal school permanent fund, the permanent common school fund, the scientific permanent fund, and the state university permanent fund shall be allocated to their respective beneficiary accounts.

(b) Any state agency that has independent authority over accounts or funds not statutorily required to be held in the state treasury that deposits funds into a fund or account in the state treasury pursuant to an agreement with the office of the state treasurer shall receive its proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period.

(5) In conformance with Article II, section 37 of the state Constitution, no treasury accounts or funds shall be allocated earnings without the specific affirmative directive of this section.

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