(1) Housing programs and projects will be given priority for the first fifty percent of the annual tax exempt private activity bond cap available after July 1st each year because of the need for affordable housing, the program's ability to serve lower-income households, its contribution to and support of economic development and long-term benefits that may be achieved.

(2) Bond cap will consider other categories of applications including industrial development bonds, exempt facilities, public utility districts, and student loans for allocation from the remaining bond cap available after July 1st.

(a) The program will consider and then evaluate and balance the public benefits listed in statute and in rule in making allocation decisions. Allocations will be based upon the likelihood of a project achieving the highest overall public purposes and the degree to which a project:

(i) Provides an economic boost to an economically distressed community (based on the three-year unemployment figures from employment security);

(ii) Creates or retains jobs that pay higher than the median wage for the county in which it is located, in sustainable industries, particularly for lower-income persons;

(iii) Retains or expands the local tax base;

(iv) Encourages and facilitates the provision of student loans for institutions of higher education;

(v) Reduces environmental pollution;

(vi) Facilitates investments in new manufacturing technologies enabling Washington industries to stay competitive;

(vii) Diverts solid waste from disposal and manufactures it into value-added products;

(viii) Encourages the environmentally sound handling of solid waste using best management's practices; or

(ix) Produces competitively priced energy for use in the state.

(b) The criteria in this section and other applicable criteria otherwise established in statute and rule shall not be considered as ranked in any particular order but shall be weighed and balanced for each application and among applications in making allocation decisions.

(3) For the purposes of qualified energy conservation bonds, the federal code and U.S. Department of Treasury guidance contained in IRS Notice 2009-29 allow formula allocations to be reallocated to the state and passed on by the state to other issuers. An originally awarded locality may designate other issuing localities within the jurisdiction of the originally awarded locality to use all or a portion of its original allocation by any procedure mutually acceptable to both parties, on condition that the originally awarded locality provides documentation of the designation to the department within thirty days of making the designation and ensures that all other department requests for documentation are met. The following procedures will apply to qualified energy conservation bond reallocations:

(a) An originally awarded locality that intends to use its original allocation or intends to designate another issuer within the jurisdiction of the originally awarded locality to use the original allocation must file a Notice of Intent form with the department by January 1, 2010.

(b) An originally awarded locality that has chosen to decline its original allocation may affirmatively reallocate to the state by submitting an appropriately marked Notice of Intent form.

(i) The form must be signed by the official(s) of the jurisdiction authorized to execute the form pursuant to a resolution declining the allocation adopted by the jurisdiction's governing body; and

(ii) The form and the resolution declining the allocation must be delivered to the department by January 1, 2010.

(c) An originally awarded locality that has used the Notice of Intent form to express its intent to use its original allocation may amend the Notice of Intent at a later time if it is determined that the locality is unable to use the allocation and has decided to reallocate to the state.

(d) An originally awarded locality intending to use its original allocation must provide the department with project information and supporting documents by February 1, 2010. Supporting documents include Bond Counsel and Underwriter Statement of Intent forms, or equivalent, at the discretion of the bond cap manager, and a certified copy of an inducement resolution by the governing board. A locality may request an extension if filed by February 1, 2010.

(e) If an originally awarded locality has not provided the department with the documents required by subsections (1), (2) or (4) of this section or has not issued bonds or requested an extension by June 1, 2010, the department may issue a Notice of Intent to Reallocate, informing the locality of the intent to reallocate the original allocation to another locality.

(f) An originally awarded locality will have fifteen days from receipt of a Notice of Intent to Reallocate to respond to the department with the required documentation or to ask the department to reconsider the reallocation determination.

(g) The department will respond to a request to reconsider a reallocation determination within ten business days with a decision by the assistant director of the local government division or designee to grant an extended time in which the issuing jurisdiction must demonstrate progress toward a qualified energy conservation bond issuance, or a decision to go forward with reallocation of the authority. The length of the time extension shall be determined at the discretion of the assistant director.

(4) For the purposes of recovery zone economic development bond and recovery zone facility bond allocations, an originally awarded locality may designate other issuing localities within the jurisdiction of the originally awarded locality to use all or a portion of its original allocation by any procedure mutually acceptable to both parties, on condition that the originally awarded locality provides documentation of the designation to the department within thirty days of making the designation and ensures that all other department requests for documentation are met.

If an originally awarded locality is not able to or chooses not to use its original allocation or to offer it to another issuer within the jurisdiction of the originally awarded locality, the authority may be waived. Waived recovery zone economic development bond or recovery zone facility bond authority may be reallocated by the department to other issuing localities. In addition, if an originally awarded locality does not respond to the department's requests for information regarding its intent to use its original allocation or progress in moving toward issuance by the federal deadline, the department may deem the allocation to have been waived.

In such cases, federal code provisions and U.S. Department of Treasury guidance in IRS Notice 2009-50 allow original allocations to be waived then reallocated by the state to other issuing localities. The following procedures will apply to any reallocations of waived recovery zone economic development bond or recovery zone facility bond authority:

(a) An originally awarded locality that intends to use its original allocation or intends to designate another issuer within the jurisdiction of the originally awarded locality to use the original allocation must file a Notice of Intent form with the department by January 1, 2010.

(b) An originally awarded locality that has chosen to decline its original allocation may affirmatively waive the allocation for reallocation by the state by submitting an appropriately marked Notice of Intent form.

(i) The form must be signed by the official(s) of the jurisdiction authorized to execute the form pursuant to a resolution declining the allocation adopted by the jurisdiction's governing body; and

(ii) The form and the resolution declining the allocation must be delivered to the department by January 1, 2010.

(c) An originally awarded locality that has used the Notice of Intent form to express its intent to use its original allocation may amend the Notice of Intent at a later time if it is determined that the locality is unable to use its original allocation and has decided to waive the allocation for reallocation by the state.

(d) An originally awarded locality intending to use its original allocation must provide the department with project information and supporting documents by February 1, 2010. Supporting documents include Bond Counsel and Underwriter Statement of Intent forms, or equivalent, at the discretion of the bond cap manager, and a certified copy of an inducement resolution by the governing board. A locality may request an extension if filed by February 1, 2010.

(e) If an originally awarded locality has not provided the department with the documents required by subsections (1), (2) or (4) of this section or has not issued bonds or requested an extension by June 1, 2010, the department may issue a Notice of Intent to Reallocate, informing the locality of the intent to deem the original allocation to have been waived and to reallocate it to another locality.

(f) An originally awarded locality will have fifteen days from receipt of a Notice of Intent to Reallocate to respond to the department with the required documentation or to ask the department to reconsider its waiver and reallocation determination.

(g) The department will respond to the request to reconsider its waiver and reallocation determination within ten business days with a decision by the assistant director of the local government division to grant an extended time in which the issuing jurisdiction must demonstrate progress toward a recovery zone economic development bond or recovery zone facility bond issuance, or a decision to go forward with waiver and reallocation of the authority. The length of the time extension shall be determined at the discretion of the assistant director.

(h) All recovery zone bonds must be issued by the deadlines established in the code.