H-0920.2                  _______________________________________________

                                                      HOUSE BILL 1696

                              _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1993 Regular Session

By Representatives Heavey, L. Johnson, Campbell, Brough, Zellinsky, R. Meyers, Cothern, Quall, Rayburn, Flemming, Roland, Finkbeiner, Kremen, J. Kohl, H. Myers and Johanson

Read first time 02/05/93.  Referred to Committee on Revenue.

Reducing property taxes for certain elderly or retired persons.

          AN ACT Relating to property tax exemptions on the principal dwellings of senior citizens and physically disabled persons; and adding a new section to chapter 84.36 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 84.36 RCW to read as follows:

          Property taxes, including both regular and excess levies, that are imposed on the principal place of residence of a person who is sixty-one years of age or older on December 31st of any year, or who is retired from regular gainful employment by reason of physical disability at the time of filing, and who otherwise qualifies for this exemption, shall be reduced so that the amount of regular and excess property tax levies that are payable on the dwelling is equal to the rate of the taxes multiplied by an amount equal to the assessed valuation of the dwelling less twenty-five percent of the average sale price of a single-family residence in the county over the last preceding calendar year.

          To be eligible for this exemption, a person must meet all the requirements of RCW 84.36.381 through 84.36.389, except that such a person is eligible for the exemption in this section if that person has a combined disposable income of fifty thousand dollars or less.  Applications for the exemption under this section shall be made in the same manner as for the exemptions under RCW 84.36.381.  The definitions in RCW 84.36.383 apply to the exemption provided in this section.

          The exemption provided in this section shall be in addition to the exemptions provided under RCW 84.36.381, if the person qualifies for the exemptions under RCW 84.36.381.

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