AN ACT Relating to state appropriations for local government assistance; amending RCW 82.44.150 and 82.44.160; adding a new section to chapter 82.14 RCW; and providing an effective date.

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

Sec. 1. Section 1, chapter 18, Laws of 1988 and RCW 82.44.150 are each amended to read as follow:

(1) The director of licensing shall on the twenty-fifth day of February, May, August, and November of each year, commencing with November, 1971, advise the state treasurer of the total amount of motor vehicle excise taxes remitted to the department of licensing during the preceding calendar quarter ending on the last day of March, June, September, and December, respectively, except for those payable under RCW 82.44.020(6) and 82.44.030, from motor vehicle owners residing within each municipality which has levied a tax under RCW 35.58.273, which amount of excise taxes shall be determined by the director as follows:

The total amount of motor vehicle excise taxes remitted to the department, except those payable under RCW 82.44.020(6) and 82.44.030, from each county shall be multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the population of the municipality residing in such county, and the denominator of which is the total population of the county in which such municipality or portion thereof is located. The product of this computation shall be the amount of excise taxes from motor vehicle owners residing within such municipality or portion thereof. Where the municipality levying a tax under RCW 35.58.273 is located in more than one county, the above computation shall be made by county, and the combined products shall provide the total amount of motor vehicle excise taxes from motor vehicle owners residing in the municipality as a whole. Population figures required for these computations shall be supplied to the director by the office of financial management, who shall adjust the fraction annually.

(2) On the first day of the months of January, April, July, and October of each year, the state treasurer based upon information provided by the department of licensing shall make the following apportionment and distribution of motor vehicle excise taxes deposited in the general fund except taxes collected under RCW 82.44.020(6).

(a) A sum equal to seventeen percent thereof shall be paid to cities and towns in the proportions and for the purposes hereinafter set forth;

(b) A sum equal to two percent thereof shall be allocable to the county sales and use tax equalization account under RCW 82.14.200;

(c) A sum equal to seven and fifty-three one-hundredths percent thereof shall be allocable to the local government criminal justice assistance account under section 2 of this act; and

(d) A sum equal to four and two-tenths percent of the special excise tax levied under RCW 35.58.273 by those municipalities authorized to levy a special excise tax at a rate not exceeding ninety-six one-hundredths of one percent on the fair market value of every motor vehicle owned by a resident of such municipality shall be deposited in the rail development account established in RCW 47.78.010.

(3) The amount payable to cities and towns shall be apportioned among the several cities and towns within the state according to the following formula:

(a) Sixty-five percent of the sum specified in subsection (2) of this section to be paid to cities and towns shall be apportioned ratably on the basis of population as last determined by the office of financial management.

(b) Thirty-five percent of the sum specified in subsection (2) of this section to be paid to cities and towns shall be apportioned to cities and towns under RCW 82.14.210.

(4) When so apportioned, the amount payable to each such city and town shall be transmitted to the city treasurer thereof, and shall be utilized by such city or town for the purposes of police and fire protection and the preservation of the public health therein, and not otherwise. In case it be adjudged that revenue derived from the excise tax imposed by this chapter cannot lawfully be apportioned or distributed to cities or towns, all moneys directed by this section to be apportioned and distributed to cities and towns shall be credited and transferred to the state general fund.

(5) On the first day of the months of January, April, July, and October of each year, the state treasurer, based upon information provided by the department of licensing, shall remit motor vehicle excise tax revenues imposed and collected under RCW 35.58.273 as follows:

(a) The amount required to be remitted by the state treasurer to the treasurer of any municipality levying the tax shall not exceed in any calendar year the amount of locally-generated tax revenues, excluding the excise tax imposed under RCW 35.58.273 for the purposes of this section, which shall have been budgeted by the municipality to be collected in such calendar year for any public transportation purposes including but not limited to operating costs, capital costs, and debt service on general obligation or revenue bonds issued for these purposes; and

(b) In no event may the amount remitted in a single calendar quarter exceed the amount collected on behalf of the municipality under RCW 35.58.273 during the calendar quarter next preceding the immediately preceding quarter.

(6) At the close of each calendar year accounting period, but not later than April 1, each municipality that has received motor vehicle excise taxes under subsection (5) of this section shall transmit to the director of licensing and the state auditor a written report showing by source the previous year's budgeted tax revenues for public transportation purposes as compared to actual collections. Any municipality that has not submitted the report by April 1 shall cease to be eligible to receive motor vehicle excise taxes under subsection (5) of this section until the report is received by the director of licensing. If a municipality has received more or less money under subsection (5) of this section for the period covered by the report than it is entitled to receive by reason of its locally-generated collected tax revenues, the director of licensing shall, during the next ensuing quarter that the municipality is eligible to receive motor vehicle excise tax funds, increase or decrease the amount to be remitted in an amount equal to the difference between the locally-generated budgeted tax revenues and the locally-generated collected tax revenues. In no event may the amount remitted for a calendar year exceed the amount collected on behalf of the municipality under RCW 35.58.273 during that same calendar year. At the time of the next fiscal audit of each municipality, the state auditor shall verify the accuracy of the report submitted and notify the director of licensing of any discrepancies.

(7) The motor vehicle excise taxes imposed under RCW 35.58.273 and required to be remitted under this section shall be remitted without legislative appropriation.

(8) Any municipality levying and collecting a tax under RCW 35.58.273 which does not have an operating, public transit system or a contract for public transportation services in effect within one year from the initial effective date of the tax shall return to the state treasurer all motor vehicle excise taxes received under subsection (5) of this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 82.14 RCW to read as follows:

The local government criminal justice assistance account is created in the state treasury. The account shall consist of all motor vehicle excise tax receipts deposited into the account under RCW 82.44.150(2)(c).

(1) Two percent of the local government criminal justice assistance account shall be appropriated annually to the prosecution assistance revolving account hereby created in the custody of the state treasurer. Within available funds, moneys in the prosecution assistance revolving account may be disbursed, without appropriation, by the director of community development solely for grants to cities, towns, and counties for costs incurred in a criminal case, but only to the extent the costs exceed five percent of the annual operating budget of the city, town, or county. If the legislature determines that moneys in the prosecution assistance revolving account exceed the anticipated need, the legislature in the omnibus appropriations act may direct the transfer of a specified amount to the state general fund. The prosecution assistance revolving account is subject to the allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW. The department of community development shall adopt such rules as are necessary to implement this subsection.

(2) The remainder of the moneys in the local criminal justice assistance account shall be distributed in the manner provided by this subsection at such times as distributions are made under RCW 82.44.150.

(a) Twenty percent shall be distributed by the state treasurer to the counties of the state ratably on the basis of population as last determined by the office of financial management.

(b) Fifty percent shall be distributed by the state treasurer to the counties of the state on the basis of the number of per capita criminal cases filed in the county superior court, as determined by the most recent annual report of the courts of Washington, as published by the office of the administrator for the courts.

(c) Thirty percent shall be distributed by the state treasurer to the counties of the state on the basis of the county's crime rate, which is the per capita annual occurrence of specified criminal offenses as calculated in the most recent annual report on crime in Washington state as published by the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs.

(3) Moneys distributed under subsection (2) of this section shall be expended exclusively for criminal justice purposes. Within thirty days following the close of the county's fiscal year, the county shall report to the state auditor the expenditures made under subsection (2) of this section.

Sec. 3. Section 82.44.160, chapter 15, Laws of 1961 as last amended by section 7, chapter 54, Laws of 1974 ex. sess. and RCW 82.44.160 are each amended to read as follows:

Before distributing moneys to the cities and towns from the general fund, as provided in RCW 82.44.150(2)(a), the state treasurer shall, on the first day of July of each year, make an annual deduction therefrom of a sum equal to one-half of the biennial appropriation made pursuant to this section, which amount shall be at least seven cents per capita of the population of all cities or towns as legally certified on that date, determined as provided in said section, which sum shall be apportioned and transmitted to the municipal research council, herein created. The municipal research council may contract with and allocate moneys to any state agency, educational institution, or private consulting firm, which in its judgment is qualified to carry on a municipal research and service program. Moneys may be utilized to match federal funds available for technical research and service programs to cities and towns. Moneys allocated shall be used for studies and research in municipal government, publications, educational, conferences, and attendance thereat, and in furnishing technical, consultative, and field services to cities and towns in problems relating to planning, public health, municipal sanitation, fire protection, law enforcement, postwar improvements, and public works, and in all matters relating to city and town government. The programs shall be carried on and all expenditures shall be made in cooperation with the cities and towns of the state acting through the Association of Washington Cities by its board of directors which is hereby recognized as their official agency or instrumentality.

Funds appropriated to the municipal research council shall be kept in the treasury in the general fund, and shall be disbursed by warrant or check to contracting parties on invoices or vouchers certified by the chairman of the municipal research council or his designee. Payments to public agencies may be made in advance of actual work contracted for, in the discretion of the council.

Any moneys remaining unexpended or uncontracted for by the municipal research council at the end of any fiscal biennium shall be returned to the general fund and be paid to cities and towns under the provisions of RCW 82.44.150.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 1990.