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                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6802

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                                                                            C 164 L 90

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Senators Sellar, Vognild, Benitz, Bailey and McCaslin

Read first time 1/25/90 and referred to Committee on  Governmental Operations.

AN ACT Relating to reduced utility rates; and amending RCW 74.38.070.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 1, chapter 116, Laws of 1979 as last amended by section 1, chapter 44, Laws of 1988 and RCW 74.38.070 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any county, city, town, municipal corporation, or quasi municipal corporation providing utility services may provide such services at reduced rates for low income senior citizens or low income disabled citizens:  PROVIDED, That, for the purposes of this section, "low income senior citizen"  or "low  income disabled citizen" shall be defined by appropriate ordinance or resolution adopted by the governing body of the county, city, town, municipal corporation, or quasi municipal corporation providing the utility services except as provided in subsection (2) of this section.  Any reduction in rates granted in whatever manner to low income senior citizens or low income disabled citizens in one part of a service area shall be uniformly extended to low income senior citizens or low income disabled citizens in all other parts of the service area.

          (2) For purposes of implementing this section by any public utility district, (a) "low income senior citizen" means a person who is sixty-two years of age or older and whose total income, including that of his or her spouse or cotenant, does not exceed the amount specified in RCW 84.36.381(5)(b), as now or hereafter amended and (b) "low income disabled citizen" means (i) a person qualifying for special parking privileges under RCW 46.16.381(1) (a) through (f) ((or)) , (ii) a blind person as defined in RCW 74.18.020, or (iii) a disabled, handicapped, or incapacitated person as defined under any other existing state or federal program and whose income, including that of his or her spouse or cotenant, does not exceed the amount specified in RCW 70.164.020(4).

                                                                                                                        Passed the Senate February 7, 1990.

                                                                                                                                       President of the Senate.

                                                                                                                           Passed the House March 2, 1990.

                                                                                                                                         Speaker of the House.