AN ACT Relating to expanding local taxing authority to fund public safety and community protection focused programs and services; and amending RCW 82.14.450 and 82.14.340.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 82.14.450 and 2021 c 296 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) ((A))(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, a county legislative authority may submit an authorizing proposition to the county voters at a primary or general election and, if the proposition is approved by a majority of persons voting, impose a sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this chapter. The title of each ballot measure must clearly state the purposes for which the proposed sales and use tax will be used. The rate of tax under this section may not exceed ((three-tenths of one))0.3 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.

(2)(a) ((A))Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, a city legislative authority may submit an authorizing proposition to the city voters at a primary or general election and, if the proposition is approved by a majority of persons voting, impose a sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this chapter. The title of each ballot measure must clearly state the purposes for which the proposed sales and use tax will be used. The rate of tax under this subsection may not exceed ((one-tenth of one))0.1 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. ((A city may not begin imposing a tax approved by the voters under this subsection prior to January 1, 2011.))

(b) If a county does not impose the tax under subsection (1) of this section at the full rate of 0.3 percent by July 1, 2026, a city legislative authority may, until January 1, 2028, impose the tax by ordinance or resolution at a rate not to exceed 0.3 percent.

(d) If a county adopts an ordinance or resolution to ((submit a ballot proposition to the voters to)) impose the sales and use tax under subsection (1)(a) or (b) of this section prior to a city within the county adopting an ordinance or resolution to ((submit a ballot proposition to the voters to)) impose the tax under (a) or (b) of this subsection, the rate of tax by the city under this subsection may not exceed an amount that would cause the total county and city tax rate under this section to exceed ((three-tenths of one))0.3 percent. This subsection (2)(((b)))(d) also applies if the county and city adopt an ordinance or resolution to impose sales and use taxes under this section on the same date.

(((c)))(e) If the city adopts an ordinance or resolution to ((submit a ballot proposition to the voters to)) impose the sales and use tax under (a) or (b) of this subsection prior to the county in which the city is located, the county must provide a credit against its tax under subsection (1) of this section for the city tax under this subsection to the extent the total county and city tax rate under this section would exceed ((three-tenths of one))0.3 percent.

(3) The tax authorized in this section is in addition to any other taxes authorized by law and must be collected from those persons who are taxable by the state under chapters 82.08 and 82.12 RCW upon the occurrence of any taxable event within the county.

(4) The retail sale or use of motor vehicles, and the lease of motor vehicles for up to the first ((thirty-six))36 months of the lease, are exempt from tax imposed under this section.

(5) ((One-third))(a) If the tax authorized under this section is imposed by a county or city with voter approval, one-third of all money received under this section must be used solely for criminal justice purposes, fire protection purposes, community protection purposes, or ((both))public safety purposes, including but not limited to, behavioral health, co-responder, and diversion treatment programs and services. For the purposes of this subsection, "criminal justice purposes" ((has the same meaning as provided in RCW 82.14.340, except that from May 13, 2021, through December 31, 2023, "criminal justice purposes")) includes local government programs which have a reasonable relationship to reducing the numbers of people interacting with the criminal justice system including, but not limited to, reducing homelessness or improving behavioral health.

(6) Money received by a county under subsection (1) of this section must be shared between the county and the cities as follows: 60 percent must be retained by the county and 40 percent must be distributed on a per capita basis to cities in the county.

(7) Tax proceeds received by a city imposing a tax under this section must be shared between the county and city as follows: 15 percent must be distributed to the county and 85 percent is retained by the city.

Sec. 2. RCW 82.14.340 and 2021 c 296 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The legislative authority of any county may fix and impose a sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this chapter, provided that such sales and use tax is subject to repeal by referendum, using the procedures provided in RCW 82.14.036. The referendum procedure provided in RCW 82.14.036 is the exclusive method for subjecting any county sales and use tax ordinance or resolution to a referendum vote.

(2) The tax authorized in this section is in addition to any other taxes authorized by law and must be collected from those persons who are taxable by the state pursuant to chapters 82.08 and 82.12 RCW upon the occurrence of any taxable event within such county. The rate of tax equals ((one-tenth of one))0.1 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).

(3) When distributing moneys collected under this section, the state treasurer must distribute 10 percent of the moneys to the county in which the tax was collected. The remainder of the moneys collected under this section must be distributed to the county and the cities within the county ratably based on population as last determined by the office of financial management. In making the distribution based on population, the county must receive that proportion that the unincorporated population of the county bears to the total population of the county and each city must receive that proportion that the city incorporated population bears to the total county population.

(4) Moneys received from any tax imposed under this section must be expended for criminal justice purposes. ((Criminal justice purposes are defined as))For purposes of this section, "criminal justice purposes" means activities that substantially assist the criminal justice system, ((which may include))including co-responder and diversion treatment services and circumstances where ancillary benefit to the civil justice system occurs, and which includes domestic violence services such as those provided by domestic violence programs, community advocates, and legal advocates, as defined in RCW 70.123.020. After May 13, 2021, through December 31, 2023, "criminal justice purposes" includes local government programs which have a reasonable relationship to reducing the numbers of people interacting with the criminal justice system including, but not limited to, reducing homelessness or improving behavioral health.

(5) In the expenditure of funds for criminal justice purposes as provided in this section, cities and counties, or any combination thereof, are expressly authorized to participate in agreements, pursuant to chapter 39.34 RCW, to jointly expend funds for criminal justice purposes of mutual benefit. Such criminal justice purposes of mutual benefit include, but are not limited to, the construction, improvement, and expansion of jails, court facilities, juvenile justice facilities, and services with ancillary benefits to the civil justice system.

--- END ---