Subject to the provisions of RCW 35.21.779, whenever a city or town has located within its territorial limits facilities, except those leased to a nontax-exempt person or organization, owned by the state or an agency or institution of the state, the state or agency or institution owning such facilities and the city or town may contract for an equitable share of fire protection services for the protection and safety of personnel and property, pursuant to chapter 39.34 RCW, as now or hereafter amended. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the state, or any state agency or institution, to contract for services which are performed by the staff and equipment of such an entity or by a fire protection district pursuant to RCW 52.30.020.

Findings—1992 c 117: "The legislature finds that certain state-owned facilities and institutions impose a financial burden on the cities and towns responsible for providing fire protection services to those state facilities. The legislature endeavors pursuant to chapter 117, Laws of 1992, to establish a process whereby cities and towns that have a significant share of their total assessed valuation taken up by state-owned facilities can enter into fire protection contracts with state agencies or institutions to provide a share of the jurisdiction's fire protection funding." [ 1992 c 117 § 3.]