S-3987               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6214

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Senators DeJarnatt, Conner and Vognild

Prefiled with Secretary of the Senate 1/5/90.  Read first time 1/8/90 and referred to Committee on  Governmental Operations.

AN ACT Relating to the excise tax on telephone access lines; and amending RCW 82.14B.030.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 3, chapter 160, Laws of 1981 and RCW 82.14B.030 are each amended to read as follows:

          The legislative authority of a county may impose an excise tax on the use of telephone access lines in an amount ((not exceeding fifty cents per month for)) determined by the legislative authority to be necessary to operate an emergency services communication system.  The tax shall be imposed on a monthly basis on each telephone access line.  The amount of tax shall be uniform for each telephone access line.  This tax must be approved by a favorable vote of at least three-fifths of the electors thereof voting on the proposition, at which election the number of persons voting "yes" on the proposition shall constitute three-fifths of a number equal to forty per centum of the total votes cast in the county at the last preceding general election when the number of electors voting on the proposition does not exceed forty per centum of the total votes cast in the county in the last preceding general election; or by a majority of at least three-fifths of the electors thereof voting on the proposition when the number of electors voting on the proposition exceeds forty per centum of the total votes cast in the county in the last preceding general election.  This tax may be imposed for six years without subsequent voter approval.  At any election held under this section, the ballot title of the proposition shall state the maximum monthly rate of the proposed tax which may be imposed by the county legislative authority.  The actual rate of tax to be imposed shall be set by ordinance, which rate shall not exceed the maximum monthly rate approved by the electors.

          No tax may be imposed under this section for more than one year before the expected implementation date of an  emergency services communication system.  The power granted under this section is in addition to any other authority which counties have to fund  emergency services communication systems.