ByRepresentatives Robinson, Macri, Chapman, Valdez, Senn, Peterson, Kloba, Tharinger, Gregerson, Stanford, Walen, Doglio, Frame, Jinkins, Riccelli, Slatter, Ormsby, and Santos

AN ACT Relating to encouraging investments in affordable and supportive housing; and adding a new section to chapter 82.14 RCW.

(1) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(a) "Nonparticipating city" is a city that does not impose a sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this chapter.

(b) "Nonparticipating county" is a county that does not impose a sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this chapter.

(d) "Participating county" is a county that imposes a sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this chapter.

(e) "Qualifying local tax" means the following tax sources, if the tax source was instated within one year after the effective date of this section:

(ii) The sales and use tax for housing and related services authorized under RCW 82.14.530; and

(iii) The sales tax for chemical dependency and mental health treatment services or therapeutic courts authorized under RCW 82.14.460.

(2)(a) A county or city legislative authority may authorize, fix, and impose a sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this chapter.

(b) The tax under this chapter is assessed on the selling price in the case of a sales tax, or value of the article used, in the case of a use tax.

(c) The rate of the tax under this chapter for an individual participating city and an individual participating county may not exceed:

(II) Participating city if the county in which it is located declares they will not levy the sales and use tax authorized under this section; and

(III) Participating county within the unincorporated areas of the county and any city that declares they will not levy the sales and use tax authorized under this section;

(I) Participating city that is located within a participating county if the participating city is not levying a qualifying local tax; and

(II) Participating county, within the limits of a participating city if the participating city is not levying a qualifying local tax;

(II) Participating county within the unincorporated area of the county and within the limits of any nonparticipating city that is located within the county.

(d) A county may not levy the tax authorized under this section within the limits of a participating city that levies a qualifying local tax.

(e)(i) In order for a county or city legislative authority to impose the tax under this chapter, the authority must adopt:

(A) A resolution of intent to adopt legislation to authorize the maximum capacity of the tax in this chapter within six months of the date in which this section takes effect; and

(B) Legislation to authorize the maximum capacity of the tax in this chapter within one year of the date on which this section takes effect.

(ii) Adoption of the resolution of intent and legislation requires simple majority approval of the enacting legislative authority.

(iii) If a county or city has not adopted a resolution of intent in accordance with the terms of this chapter, the county or city may not authorize, fix, and impose the tax.

(3) The tax imposed under this chapter must be deducted from the amount of tax otherwise required to be collected or paid to the department of revenue under chapter 82.08 or 82.12 RCW. The department must perform the collection of such taxes on behalf of the county or city at no cost to the county or city.

(4) By December 31, 2019, or within thirty days of a county or city authorizing the tax under this chapter, whichever is later, the department must calculate the maximum amount of tax distributions for each county and city authorizing the tax under this chapter as follows:

(a) The maximum amount for a participating county equals the taxable retail sales within the county in state fiscal year 2019 multiplied by the tax rate imposed under this section. If a county imposes a tax authorized under this section after a city located in that county has imposed the tax, the taxable retail sales within the city in state fiscal year 2018 must be subtracted from the taxable retail sales within the county for the calculation of the maximum amount; and

(b) The maximum amount for a city equals the taxable retail sales within the city in state fiscal year 2018 multiplied by the tax rate imposed under subsection (1) of this section.

(5) The tax must cease to be distributed to a county or city for the remainder of any fiscal year in which the amount of tax exceeds the maximum amount in subsection (4) of this section. The department must remit any annual tax revenues above the maximum to the state treasurer for deposit in the general fund. Distributions to a county or city meeting the maximum amount must resume at the beginning of the next fiscal year.

(6)(a) If a county has a population greater than four hundred thousand or a city has a population greater than one hundred thousand, the moneys collected or bonds issued under this section may only be used for the following purposes:

(i) Acquiring, rehabilitating, or constructing affordable housing, which may include new units of affordable housing within an existing structure or facilities providing supportive housing services under RCW 71.24.385; or

(ii) Funding the operations and maintenance costs of new units of affordable or supportive housing.

(b) If a county has a population of four hundred thousand or less or a city has a population of one hundred thousand or less, the moneys collected under this section may only be used for the purposes provided in (a) of this subsection or for providing rental assistance to tenants.

(7) The housing and services provided pursuant to subsection (6) of this section may only be provided to persons whose income is at or below sixty percent of the median income of the county imposing the tax.

(8) In determining the use of funds under subsection (6) of this section, a county or city must consider the income of the individuals and families to be served, the leveraging of the resources made available under this section, and the housing needs within the jurisdiction of the taxing authority.

(9) To carry out the purposes of this section including, but not limited to, financing loans or grants to nonprofit organizations or public housing authorities, the legislative authority of the county or city imposing the tax has the authority to issue general obligation or revenue bonds within the limitations now or hereafter prescribed by the laws of this state, and may use, and is authorized to pledge, the moneys collected under this section for repayment of such bonds.

(10) A county or city may enter into an interlocal agreement with one or more counties, cities, or public housing authorities in accordance with chapter 39.34 RCW. The agreement may include, but is not limited to, pooling the tax receipts received under this section, pledging those taxes to bonds issued by one or more parties to the agreement, and allocating the proceeds of the taxes levied or the bonds issued in accordance with such interlocal agreement and this section.

(11) Counties and cities imposing the tax under this section must report annually to the department of commerce on the collection and use of the revenue. The department of commerce must adopt rules prescribing content of such reports. By December 1, 2019, and annually thereafter, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the department of commerce must submit a report annually to the appropriate legislative committees with regard to such uses.

(12) The tax imposed by a county or city under this section expires twenty years after the date on which the tax is first imposed.