BP BHEAD INT H [atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to baseball stadiums; and amending RCW 82.14.360.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 82.14.360 and 1995 3rd sp.s. c 1 s 201 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The legislative authority of a county with a population of one million or more may impose a special stadium sales and use tax upon the retail sale or use within the county by restaurants, taverns, and bars of food and beverages that are taxable by the state under chapters 82.08 and 82.12 RCW. The rate of the tax shall not exceed five-tenths of one percent of the selling price in the case of a sales tax, or value of the article used in the case of a use tax. The tax imposed under this subsection is in addition to any other taxes authorized by law and shall not be credited against any other tax imposed upon the same taxable event. As used in this section, "restaurant" does not include grocery stores, mini-markets, or convenience stores.

(2) The legislative authority of a county with a population of one million or more may impose a special stadium sales and use tax upon retail car rentals within the county that are taxable by the state under chapters 82.08 and 82.12 RCW. The rate of the tax shall not exceed two percent of the selling price in the case of a sales tax, or rental value of the vehicle in the case of a use tax. The tax imposed under this subsection is in addition to any other taxes authorized by law and shall not be credited against any other tax imposed upon the same taxable event.

(3) The revenue from the taxes imposed under this section shall be used for the purpose of principal and interest payments on bonds, issued by the county, to acquire, construct, own, remodel, maintain, equip, reequip, repair, and operate a baseball stadium. Revenues from the taxes authorized in this section may be used for design and other preconstruction costs of the baseball stadium until bonds are issued for the baseball stadium. The county shall issue bonds, in an amount determined to be necessary by the public facilities district, for the district to acquire, construct, own, and equip the baseball stadium. The county shall have no obligation to issue bonds in an amount greater than that which would be supported by the tax revenues under this section, RCW 82.14.0485, and 36.38.010((~~(3)~~)) (4) (a) and (b). If the revenue from the taxes imposed under this section exceeds the amount needed for such principal and interest payments in any year, the excess shall be used solely:

(a) For early retirement of the bonds issued for the baseball stadium; and

(b) If the revenue from the taxes imposed under this section exceeds the amount needed for the purposes in (a) of this subsection in any year, the excess shall be placed in a contingency fund which may only be used to pay unanticipated capital costs on the baseball stadium, excluding any cost overruns on initial construction.

(4) The taxes authorized under this section shall not be collected after June 30, 1997, unless the county executive has certified to the department of revenue that a professional major league baseball team has made a binding and legally enforceable contractual commitment to:

(a) Play at least ninety percent of its home games in the stadium for a period of time not shorter than the term of the bonds issued to finance the initial construction of the stadium;

(b) Contribute forty-five million dollars toward the reasonably necessary preconstruction costs including, but not limited to architectural, engineering, environmental, and legal services, and the cost of construction of the stadium, or to any associated public purpose separate from bond-financed property, including without limitation land acquisition, parking facilities, equipment, infrastructure, or other similar costs associated with the project, which contribution shall be made during a term not to exceed the term of the bonds issued to finance the initial construction of the stadium. If all or part of the contribution is made after the date of issuance of the bonds, the team shall contribute an additional amount equal to the accruing interest on the deferred portion of the contribution, calculated at the interest rate on the bonds maturing in the year in which the deferred contribution is made. No part of the contribution may be made without the consent of the county until a public facilities district is created under chapter 36.100 RCW to acquire, construct, own, remodel, maintain, equip, reequip, repair, and operate a baseball stadium. To the extent possible, contributions shall be structured in a manner that would allow for the issuance of bonds to construct the stadium that are exempt from federal income taxes; ((~~and~~))

(c) Share a portion of the profits generated by the baseball team from the operation of the professional franchise for a period of time equal to the term of the bonds issued to finance the initial construction of the stadium, after offsetting any losses incurred by the baseball team after the effective date of chapter 14, Laws of 1995 1st sp. sess. Such profits and the portion to be shared shall be defined by agreement between the public facilities district and the baseball team. The shared profits shall be used to retire the bonds issued to finance the initial construction of the stadium. If the bonds are retired before the expiration of their term, the shared profits shall be paid to the public facilities district; and

(d) Provide an affordable price for at least ten percent of the seats in the baseball stadium for home games of the professional major league baseball team. For purposes of this subsection (4)(d), "affordable price" means a price that is equal to or less than the average of the lowest ticket prices charged by all other major league baseball teams.

(5) No tax may be collected under this section before January 1, 1996. Before collecting the taxes under this section or issuing bonds for a baseball stadium, the county shall create a public facilities district under chapter 36.100 RCW to acquire, construct, own, remodel, maintain, equip, reequip, repair, and operate a baseball stadium.

(6) The county shall assemble such real property as the district determines to be necessary as a site for the baseball stadium. Property which is necessary for this purpose that is owned by the county on October 17, 1995, shall be contributed to the district, and property which is necessary for this purpose that is acquired by the county on or after October 17, 1995, shall be conveyed to the district.

(7) The proceeds of any bonds issued for the baseball stadium shall be provided to the district.

(8) As used in this section, "baseball stadium" means "baseball stadium" as defined in RCW 82.14.0485.

(9) The taxes imposed under this section shall expire when the bonds issued for the construction of the baseball stadium are retired, but not later than twenty years after the taxes are first collected.