H-188                _______________________________________________

                                                    HOUSE BILL NO. 889

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Representatives H. Sommers, Ebersole, Brough, Allen, Appelwick and Miller

Read first time 2/13/87 and referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

AN ACT Relating to school district funding; adding new sections to chapter 84.52 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 84.55 RCW; and providing an effective date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 84.52 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) A school district may levy an annual regular ad valorem property tax of up to the lesser of two dollars per thousand dollars of assessed valuation or the rate necessary to raise an amount equal to the amount the school district can levy under RCW 84.52.0531(1).

          (2) A school district may:

          (a) Limit the period for which the levy is to be made;

          (b) Limit the purpose for which the levy is to be made;

          (c) Set the levy at a rate less than the maximum rate allowed under this section; or

          (d) Include any combination of the conditions in this subsection.

          (3) No levy may be imposed by a school district under this section unless the first levy by the school district under this section is specifically authorized at a general or special election by a majority of the electors of the district voting on the proposition to impose the levy.

          (4) A levy under this section is in addition to the levies under RCW 84.52.043.

          (5) If (a) a school district is levying two dollars per thousand dollars of assessed valuations under this section, (b) the levy is generating less than the amount the school district can levy under RCW 84.52.0531 (1), and (c) the state is funding the school district at less than sixty certificated staff per one thousand full-time-equivalent students under the section of the appropriations act which implements the basic education formula required by RCW 28A.41.140, then the school district shall certify to the superintendent of public instruction the difference between the amount the levy is generating and the amount the school district could levy under RCW 84.52.0531(1).  From funds appropriated for this purpose, the superintendent of public instruction shall distribute to the school districts, at the times other property taxes are distributed, the amounts so certified.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 84.52 RCW to read as follows:

          A school district collecting a levy under RCW 84.52.0531(5) during a year shall not levy under section 1 of this act for collection during the same year.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 84.55 RCW to read as follows:

          This chapter does not apply to the levy under section 1 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     This act shall take effect January 1, 1988, if the proposed amendment to Article VII, section 2 of the state Constitution authorizing an additional property tax for school districts (HJR --) is validly submitted to and is approved and ratified by the voters at a general election held in November 1987.  If the proposed amendment is not so approved and ratified, this act shall be null and void in its entirety.

          This act shall be effective for taxes levied for collection in 1988 and thereafter.