BILL REQ. #:  H-4851.2 

Read first time 02/06/08.   Referred to Committee on Finance.

     AN ACT Relating to eliminating the state property tax levy and protecting education funding; creating new sections; and repealing RCW 84.52.065, 84.52.067, 84.52.068, and 84.48.080.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that owners of real property, including homeowners, throughout Washington state have experienced rapid increases in property taxes and are in need of meaningful relief. The legislature intends by this act to reduce the property tax burden by eliminating the state property tax levy, while providing that education funding levels are not affected or supplanted as a result of repealing the state property tax levy.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:
     (1) RCW 84.52.065 (State levy for support of common schools) and 1991 sp.s. c 31 s 16, 1979 ex.s. c 218 s 1, 1973 1st ex.s. c 195 s 106, 1971 ex.s. c 299 s 25, 1969 ex.s. c 216 s 2, & 1967 ex.s. c 133 s 1;
     (2) RCW 84.52.067 (State levy for support of common schools--Disposition of funds) and 2001 c 3 s 7 & 1967 ex.s. c 133 s 2;
     (3) RCW 84.52.068 (State levy -- Distribution to school districts) and 2005 c 514 s 1104, 2003 1st sp.s. c 19 s 1, & 2001 c 3 s 5; and
     (4) RCW 84.48.080 (Equalization of assessments -- Taxes for state purposes -- Procedure -- Levy and apportionment -- Hypothetical levy for establishing consolidated levy -- Rules -- Record) and 2001 c 185 s 12, 1997 c 3 s 112, 1995 2nd sp.s. c 13 s 3, 1994 c 301 s 43, 1990 c 283 s 1, 1988 c 222 s 24, 1982 1st ex.s. c 28 s 1, 1979 ex.s. c 86 s 3, 1973 1st ex.s. c 195 s 99, 1971 ex.s. c 288 s 9, & 1961 c 15 s 84.48.080.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   The repeal of the state property tax levy in section 2 of this act does not affect or supplant education funding levels.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   This act applies to taxes levied for collection in 2009 and thereafter.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   If any repealers in this act, or any sections enacted or affected by this act, are enacted in a 2008 legislative session that do not take cognizance of this act, the code reviser must prepare a bill for introduction in the 2009 or 2010 legislative session that incorporates any such amendments into the reorganization adopted by this act and corrects any references made obsolete as a result of enacting this act.