S-0884.1

SENATE BILL 5604

BySenators Robinson, Nguyen, and Stanford

AN ACT Relating to county sales and use taxes for mental health and housing; and amending RCW 82.14.460 and 82.14.540.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 82.14.460 and 2021 c 296 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

(1)(a) A county legislative authority may authorize, fix, and impose a sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this chapter.

(b) If a county with a population over eight hundred thousand has not imposed the tax authorized under this subsection by January 1, 2011, any city with a population over thirty thousand located in that county may authorize, fix, and impose the sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this chapter. The county must provide a credit against its tax for the full amount of tax imposed under this subsection (1)(b) by any city located in that county if the county imposes the tax after January 1, 2011.

(2) The tax authorized in this section is in addition to any other taxes authorized by law and 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 county for a county's tax and within a city for a city's tax. The rate of tax equals one-tenth of one percent of the selling price in the case of a sales tax, or value of the article used, in the case of a use tax.

(3) Moneys collected under this section must be used solely for the purpose of providing for the operation or delivery of chemical dependency or mental health treatment programs and services and for the operation or delivery of therapeutic court programs and services. Moneys collected by cities and counties under this section may also be used for modifications to existing facilities to address health and safety needs necessary for the provision, operation, or delivery of chemical dependency or mental health treatment programs or services otherwise funded with moneys collected in this section. For the purposes of this section, "programs and services" includes, but is not limited to, treatment services, case management, transportation, and housing that are a component of a coordinated chemical dependency or mental health treatment program or service. Every county that authorizes the tax provided in this section shall, and every other county may, establish and operate a therapeutic court component for dependency proceedings designed to be effective for the court's size, location, and resources.

(4) All moneys collected under this section must be used solely for the purpose of providing new or expanded programs and services as provided in this section, except as follows:

(a) For a county with a population larger than twenty-five thousand or a city with a population over thirty thousand, which initially imposed the tax authorized under this section prior to January 1, 2012, a portion of moneys collected under this section may be used to supplant existing funding for these purposes as follows: Up to fifty percent may be used to supplant existing funding in calendar years 2011-2012; up to forty percent may be used to supplant existing funding in calendar year 2013; up to thirty percent may be used to supplant existing funding in calendar year 2014; up to twenty percent may be used to supplant existing funding in calendar year 2015; and up to ten percent may be used to supplant existing funding in calendar year 2016;

(b) For a county with a population larger than twenty-five thousand or a city with a population over thirty thousand, which initially imposes the tax authorized under this section after December 31, 2011, a portion of moneys collected under this section may be used to supplant existing funding for these purposes as follows: Up to fifty percent may be used to supplant existing funding for up to the first three calendar years following adoption; and up to twenty-five percent may be used to supplant existing funding for the fourth and fifth years after adoption;

(c) For a county with a population of less than twenty-five thousand, a portion of moneys collected under this section may be used to supplant existing funding for these purposes as follows: Up to eighty percent may be used to supplant existing funding in calendar years 2011-2012; up to sixty percent may be used to supplant existing funding in calendar year 2013; up to forty percent may be used to supplant existing funding in calendar year 2014; up to twenty percent may be used to supplant existing funding in calendar year 2015; and up to ten percent may be used to supplant existing funding in calendar year 2016; and

(d) Notwithstanding (a) through (c) of this subsection, moneys collected under this section may be used to support the cost of the judicial officer and support staff of a therapeutic court.

(5) Nothing in this section may be interpreted to prohibit the use of moneys collected under this section for the replacement of lapsed federal funding previously provided for the operation or delivery of services and programs as provided in this section.

Sec. 2. RCW 82.14.540 and 2019 c 338 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(a) "Nonparticipating city" is a city that does not impose a sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this section.

(b) "Nonparticipating county" is a county that does not impose a sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this section.

(c) "Participating city" is a city that imposes a sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this section.

(d) "Participating county" is a county that imposes a sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this section.

(e) "Qualifying local tax" means the following tax sources, if the tax source is instated no later than twelve months after July 28, 2019:

(i) The affordable housing levy authorized under RCW 84.52.105;

(ii) The sales and use tax for housing and related services authorized under RCW 82.14.530, provided the city has imposed the tax at a minimum or (([of]))of at least half of the authorized rate;

(iii) The sales tax for chemical dependency and mental health treatment services or therapeutic courts authorized under RCW 82.14.460 imposed by a city; and

(iv) The levy authorized under RCW 84.55.050, if used solely for affordable housing.

(2)(a) A county or city legislative authority may authorize, fix, and impose a sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this section.

(b) The tax under this section is assessed on the selling price in the case of a sales tax, or value of the article used, in the case of a use tax.

(c) The rate of the tax under this section for an individual participating city and an individual participating county may not exceed:

(i) Beginning on July 28, 2019, until twelve months after July 28, 2019:

(A) 0.0073 percent for a:

(I) Participating city, unless the participating city levies a qualifying local tax; and

(II) Participating county, within the limits of nonparticipating cities within the county and within participating cities that do not currently levy a qualifying tax;

(B) 0.0146 percent for a:

(I) Participating city that currently levies a qualifying local tax;

(II) Participating city if the county in which it is located declares they will not levy the sales and use tax authorized under this section or does not adopt a resolution in accordance with this section; and

(III) Participating county within the unincorporated areas of the county and any city that declares they will not levy the sales and use tax authorized under this section or does not adopt a resolution in accordance with this section;

(ii) Beginning twelve months after July 28, 2019:

(A) 0.0073 percent for a:

(I) Participating city that is located within a participating county if the participating city is not levying a qualifying local tax; and

(II) Participating county, within the limits of a participating city if the participating city is not levying a qualifying local tax;

(B) 0.0146 percent within the limits of a:

(I) Participating city that is levying a qualifying local tax; and

(II) Participating county within the unincorporated area of the county and within the limits of any nonparticipating city that is located within the county.

(d) A county may not levy the tax authorized under this section within the limits of a participating city that levies a qualifying local tax.

(e)(i) In order for a county or city legislative authority to impose the tax under this section, the authority must adopt:

(A) A resolution of intent to adopt legislation to authorize the maximum capacity of the tax in this section within six months of July 28, 2019; and

(B) Legislation to authorize the maximum capacity of the tax in this section within one year of July 28, 2019.

(ii) Adoption of the resolution of intent and legislation requires simple majority approval of the enacting legislative authority.

(iii) If a county or city has not adopted a resolution of intent in accordance with the terms of this section, the county or city may not authorize, fix, and impose the tax.

(3) The tax imposed under this section must be deducted from the amount of tax otherwise required to be collected or paid to the department of revenue under chapter 82.08 or 82.12 RCW. The department must perform the collection of such taxes on behalf of the county or city at no cost to the county or city.

(4) By December 31, 2019, or within thirty days of a county or city authorizing the tax under this section, whichever is later, the department must calculate the maximum amount of tax distributions for each county and city authorizing the tax under this section as follows:

(a) The maximum amount for a participating county equals the taxable retail sales within the county in state fiscal year 2019 multiplied by the tax rate imposed under this section. If a county imposes a tax authorized under this section after a city located in that county has imposed the tax, the taxable retail sales within the city in state fiscal year 2019 must be subtracted from the taxable retail sales within the county for the calculation of the maximum amount; and

(b) The maximum amount for a city equals the taxable retail sales within the city in state fiscal year 2019 multiplied by the tax rate imposed under subsection (1) of this section.

(5) The tax must cease to be distributed to a county or city for the remainder of any fiscal year in which the amount of tax exceeds the maximum amount in subsection (4) of this section. The department must remit any annual tax revenues above the maximum to the state treasurer for deposit in the general fund. Distributions to a county or city meeting the maximum amount must resume at the beginning of the next fiscal year.

(6)(((a) If a county has a population greater than four hundred thousand or a city has a population greater than one hundred thousand, the))The moneys collected or bonds issued under this section may only be used for the following purposes:

(((i)))(a) Acquiring, rehabilitating, or constructing affordable housing, which may include new units of affordable housing within an existing structure or facilities providing supportive housing services under RCW 71.24.385; ((or

(ii)))(b) Funding the operations and maintenance costs of new units of affordable or supportive housing((.

(c) For providing rental assistance to tenants.

(7) The housing and services provided pursuant to subsection (6) of this section may only be provided to persons whose income is at or below sixty percent of the median income of the county or city imposing the tax.

(8) In determining the use of funds under subsection (6) of this section, a county or city must consider the income of the individuals and families to be served, the leveraging of the resources made available under this section, and the housing needs within the jurisdiction of the taxing authority.

(9) To carry out the purposes of this section including, but not limited to, financing loans or grants to nonprofit organizations or public housing authorities, the legislative authority of the county or city imposing the tax has the authority to issue general obligation or revenue bonds within the limitations now or hereafter prescribed by the laws of this state, and may use, and is authorized to pledge, the moneys collected under this section for repayment of such bonds.

(10) A county or city may enter into an interlocal agreement with one or more counties, cities, or public housing authorities in accordance with chapter 39.34 RCW. The agreement may include, but is not limited to, pooling the tax receipts received under this section, pledging those taxes to bonds issued by one or more parties to the agreement, and allocating the proceeds of the taxes levied or the bonds issued in accordance with such interlocal agreement and this section.

(11) Counties and cities imposing the tax under this section must report annually to the department of commerce on the collection and use of the revenue. The department of commerce must adopt rules prescribing content of such reports. By December 1, 2019, and annually thereafter, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the department of commerce must submit a report annually to the appropriate legislative committees with regard to such uses.

(12) The tax imposed by a county or city under this section expires twenty years after the date on which the tax is first imposed.

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