HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1969

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                           Finance

Title:  An act relating to the property tax exemption for nonprofit homes for the aging.

Brief Description:  Exempting real property that will be developed by nonprofit organizations to provide homes for the aging.

Sponsors:  Representatives McIntire, Benson, Dunshee, Tokuda, Schual‑Berke, Eickmeyer, Scott, Kenney, Dunn, Rockefeller, Conway, Poulsen, Veloria, D. Schmidt, Cody, Ruderman, O'Brien, Edmonds, Lantz, Regala, Murray, Lovick, Santos, Kagi, Haigh and Kessler.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Finance:  3/4/99, 3/8/99 [DPS].

           Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

$Moves the date the number of low income occupants is calculated from January 1 to December 31 for purposes of the nonprofit homes for the aging property tax exemption.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 12 members:  Representatives Dunshee, Democratic Co-Chair; Thomas, Republican Co-Chair; Carrell, Republican Vice Chair; Reardon, Democratic Vice Chair; Cairnes; Conway; Cox; Dickerson; Pennington; Santos; Van Luven and Veloria.

Staff:  Rick Peterson (786-7150).

Background:

Nonprofit homes for the aging are residential housing facilities for persons at least 62 years of age.  These nonprofit homes are eligible for a property tax exemption.  Some nonprofit homes for the aging receive a full exemption and others receive a partial exemption.  The exemption amount is determined by a two-part formula.

The first part of the formula fully exempts nonprofit homes for the aging that are subsidized under a Federal Housing and Urban Development program or that received tax exempt bond financing which requires a set-aside for low income residents.  It also fully exempts nonprofit homes for the aging with at least 50 percent of the occupied dwelling units occupied by households with incomes below $22,000 or 80 percent of the county median family income level.

The second part of the formula provides a partial property tax exemption for the homes that do not qualify for a full exemption.  The percent of the property that is exempt is equal to the percentage of dwelling units occupied by persons that require assistance with activities of daily living plus the units occupied by persons that are below $22,000 or 80 percent of the county median family income level. 

Eligible nonprofit homes for the aging apply for tax relief during the year before taxes are due.  The number of dwelling units occupied by low income persons is counted on January 1 of the year in which they apply.  The reduction in the property tax bill occurs in the following year. There is a one‑year delay between the date on which the number of low income occupants is measured and the year in which the exemption is received.

Summary of Substitute Bill:

The date for calculating the number of low income occupants of a nonprofit home for the aging is moved from January 1 to December 31.  This change is retroactive for property taxes paid in 1997, 1998, and 1999.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  Technical changes were adopted making uniform references to "assessment year."  The retroactive language was put into correct form.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For:  (Original bill) By changing the date, the bill will just allow a property tax exemption for which the nonprofit homes would be eligible anyway.  The date used in the current calculation creates a trap for nonprofit homes for the aging.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative McIntire, prime sponsor; Joe McCarthy, Kantor, Taylor, McCarthy & Batzmann; Christopher Wolfe, Senior Services of Snohomish County; and Neale Frothingham, Hearthston Group.