Carolyn's Corner: This Week's Legislative Update

The big news this past week was of course the release of the House Budget — which was passed off the House floor and back over to the Senate. SB 5048 is the vehicle being used for the budget at this time.  The House amended their budget onto the Senate bill before sending it back over. 

Last week the House Appropriations Committee held a hearing on HB 2186, the $8 billion tax bill needed to fully fund their budget.  This bill includes a number of taxes — including a 7% Capital Gains tax and a 20% B&O tax surcharge for all businesses grossing more than $250,000.  Those with gross receipts $250,000 or less would be exempt from taxation and those grossing between $250,000 and $500,000 would be able to take a $100,000 deduction from their gross receipts before figuring the tax.

The state Office of Financial Management pegged the 10 year receipts for HB 2186 at $23 billion. Needless to say these tax increases are highly controversial, particularly since both budgets agree that the new revenue to the state this biennium is around $3 billion without any tax changes.

Another controversial bill that is in House Rules is HB 1904.  This bill would place a 3.3% B&O tax on the sale, collection and transfer of data.  This would include data used for target marketing and advertising and the reach is far greater than originally thought.  The bill is sponsored by Rep. Norma Smith (R) and is referenced in the House budget.

Paid Family Leave negotiations have started.  Five people from business are sitting across the table from five labor representatives — along with representatives from all four caucuses.  Attached is a chart that compares all of the various proposals — including Seattle’s.  I’m not sure what the final direction will be but as long as discussions are happening there is potential for a bill.

Please review the bills report below.  If you have any questions, please contact your Chamber office.

Carolyn Logue,

Lobbyist for the

South Sound Chamber of Commerce Legislative Coalition

South Sound Chamber of Commerce Leg Coalition Detail Report

ECONOMIC VITALITY - CLIMATE CHANGE

Bill Details		Status	Sponsor	Priority	Position
HB 1646 (SB 5509)	Carbon tax	H Environment	Fitzgibbon	High	Oppose
	Promoting an equitable clean energy economy by creating a carbon tax that allows investment in clean energy, clean air, healthy forests, and Washington's communities. Creates a carbon pollution mitigation tax on fossil fuel emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change. Creates the carbon program oversight board to oversee implementation of this act and advise the governor on the achievement of greenhouse gas emission reductions. Creates an economic and environmental justice oversight panel as a joint body between the office of the governor, the department of ecology, and the department of health. Requires the department of revenue to establish and administer a low-income carbon pollution mitigation tax grant for state residents to assist in the equitable transition to lower carbon emission energy sources. Involves the following in some role regarding the imposition of the carbon tax: The department of ecology, the department of revenue, the department of commerce, the department of health, the Washington State University extension energy office, the recreation and conservation office, the office of the attorney general, and other state agencies with control of expenditures of carbon pollution mitigation tax receipts. Creates the clean energy account, the clean water climate program account, the sustainable forest health account, the carbon reduction investment fund, the sustainable infrastructure fund, and the equitable transition fund.

ECONOMIC VITALITY - PRESERVATION OF BUILDABLE LANDS

Bill Details		Status	Sponsor	Priority	Position
SHB 1086 (SSB 5438)	Impact statements/two years	S Rules 2	Blake	Medium	Support
	Promoting the completion of environmental impact statements within two years. Requires a lead agency to prepare a final environmental impact statement in as expeditious a manner as possible while not compromising the integrity of the analysis.
ESHB 2023	GMA actions effective date	S Ways & Means	Fitzgibbon	Medium	Concerns
	Addressing the effective date of certain actions taken under the growth management act. HB 2023-S - DIGEST Addresses the growth management act with regard to initial effective dates of actions that: (1) Expand an urban growth area; (2) Remove the designation of agricultural, forest, or mineral resource lands; (3) Create or expand a limited area of more intensive rural development; (4) Establish a new fully contained community; or (5) Create or expand a master planned resort.
SSB 5438 (SHB 1086)	Impact statements/two years	H Rules R	Braun	High	Support
	Promoting the completion of environmental impact statements within two years. Requires a lead agency to aspire to prepare a final environmental impact statement in as expeditious a manner as possible while not compromising the integrity of the analysis.
SB 5543	Land/flood control districts	H 2nd Reading	Padden	Medium	Support
	Concerning a reexamination of the classification of land in flood control districts. Revises flood control district provisions. Changes the criteria for the revision of benefit classification.
SSB 5790 (HB 1525)	GMA economic dev. element	H Rules R	Short	Medium	Support
	Concerning the economic development element of the growth management act. Establishes the economic revitalization act. Provides common sense direction for the application of the growth management act by reaffirming that local governments have broad authority to make decisions that will provide family-wage jobs and increase opportunities for hard-working taxpayers in communities with deteriorating economies.

ECONOMIC VITALITY - TRADE, AEROSPACE & MFG

Bill Details		Status	Sponsor	Priority	Position
EHB 2005	Municipal gen. business lic.	S WMDPA	Lytton	Medium	Support
	Improving the business climate in this state by simplifying the administration of municipal general business licenses. HB 2005 - DIGEST Requires a city, that requires a general business license of a person that engages in business activities within that city, to partner with the department of revenue to have the license issued, and renewed if the city requires renewal, through the business licensing service. Requires the department of revenue to phase in the issuance and renewal of general business licenses of cities that required a general business license and are not already partnering with the department. Requires cities, working through the association of Washington cities, to form a model ordinance development committee made up of a representative sampling of cities that impose a general business license requirement. Creates the local business and occupation tax apportionment task force to seek input or collaborate with other parties as it deems necessary.
HB 2145	Aerospace job incentives	H Finance	Frame	High	Oppose
	Honoring the legislature's intent to create and retain local jobs through incentives provided to the aerospace industry by redirecting those incentives to other job creating opportunities if the number of aerospace jobs continue to decline. Establishes the aerospace tax incentive accountability act. Redirects certain business and occupation tax incentives from the aerospace industry to small businesses, if the number of aerospace jobs continue to decline. Creates the small business tax credit account.
HB 2146	Aerospace job incentives	H Finance	DeBolt	High	Oppose
	Honoring the legislature's intent to create and retain local jobs through incentives provided to the aerospace industry by redirecting those incentives to other job creating opportunities if the number of aerospace jobs continues to decline. Establishes the aerospace tax incentive accountability act. Redirects certain business and occupation tax incentives from the aerospace industry to: (1) Encourage job growth at small businesses in the state; (2) Increase educational opportunities by providing additional funding for the state need grant; and (3) Provide opportunities for career and technical education. Creates the worker readjustment program which will be administered by the employment security department. Requires the program to provide adjustment assistance to aerospace workers who are unemployed when employment at a significant aerospace firm goes below the employment baseline. Creates the small business tax credit account, the career and technical education account, and the worker readjustment account.
ESSB 5777	Municipal gen. business lic.	H Finance	Brown	Medium	Support
	Improving the business climate in this state by simplifying the administration of municipal general business licenses. Requires a city, that requires a general business license of a person that engages in business activities within that city, to partner with the department of revenue to have the license issued, and renewed if the city requires renewal, through the business licensing service. Requires the department of revenue to phase in the issuance and renewal of general business licenses of cities that required a general business license as of July 1, 2017, and by December 31, 2022, if specific funding is appropriated by June 30, 2017, in the omnibus appropriations act. Authorizes a city that imposes a general business license requirement and does not partner with the department of revenue as of January 1, 2018, to continue to issue and renew its general business licenses until the city partners with the department. Authorizes the department of revenue to delay assuming the duties of issuing and renewing general business licenses beyond the dates provided if certain conditions are met. Requires cities, working through the association of Washington cities, to form a model ordinance development committee made up of a representative sampling of cities that impose a general business license requirement. Creates the local business and occupation tax apportionment task force to seek input or collaborate with other parties as it deems necessary.
SSB 5844	Citizen commission/tax prefs	H Finance	Braun	Monitoring	Concerns
	Adopting citizen commission 2016 recommendations and making adjustments to the commission's review process. Repeals certain tax exemptions, credits, and incentives regarding: (1) Semiconductor materials manufacturing; (2) Gases and chemicals used to manufacture semiconductor materials; (3) Semiconductor microchips; and (4) Semiconductor microchip fabrication facility siting and operation. Requires the citizen commission for performance measurement of tax preferences to include a review of tax preferences that have a statutory expiration date at least one year before the expiration of the tax preference. Authorizes the joint legislative audit and review committee, in reviewing tax preferences, to use a different economic model if that model is approved by the committee and the office of financial management as a more relevant economic model than the input-output model. Requires the committee to, for each tax preference that does not have statutory metrics or accountability standards associated with the tax preference, recommend to the legislature statutory metrics or accountability standards that will help determine the effectiveness of the tax preference in a future review.
SB 5888	B&O manufacturing tax rate	S Ways & Means	Baumgartner	High	Support
	Lowering the ceiling of the business and occupation manufacturing tax rate to 0.2904 percent. Lowers the manufacturing rate for those manufacturing industries still taxed at the highest rate to create greater equity in taxation of manufacturers and reduce the tax burden on manufacturers.

ECONOMIC VITALITY - TRANSPACIFIC FIBER OPTIC CABLES

Bill Details		Status	Sponsor	Priority	Position
HB 1001	Utility esmts./aquatic lands	S Passed 3rd	Morris	High	Support
	Concerning utility easements on state-owned aquatic lands. Changes provisions regarding utility easements on state-owned aquatic lands.

GENERAL BUSINESS PRIORITIES

Bill Details		Status	Sponsor	Priority	Position
SHB 1067 (ESSB 5048)	Operating budget	H Rules R	Ormsby	High	Concerns
	Making 2017-2019 fiscal biennium operating appropriations. Makes 2017-2019 fiscal biennium operating appropriations.
2SHB 1120	Regulatory fairness act	S Ways & Means	Smith	Medium	Support
	Concerning the regulatory fairness act. Provides that the regulatory fairness act does not apply to the adoption of a rule if an agency is able to demonstrate that the proposed rule does not affect small businesses. Requires a proposing agency to consider mitigation options if a proposed rule affects only small businesses. Requires the office of regulatory assistance to act as the central entity to collaborate with and provide support to state agencies in meeting the requirements of the regulatory fairness act. Requires the state auditor to conduct a performance review of agency compliance with the regulatory fairness act.
HB 1352 (SB 5230)	Small business owners	S 2nd Reading	Barkis	Medium	Support
	Concerning licensing and regulatory requirements of small business owners. Requires the attorney general to review the administrative procedure act, as well as related administrative rules, similar statutes, and case law, to identify the current rights and protections afforded to small business owners selected for agency enforcement actions including inspections, audits, site visits, or record review. Requires the department of agriculture, department of ecology, employment security department, department of labor and industries, department of revenue, and state fire marshal to: (1) Review provisions of their governing statutes, administrative rules, policy statements, guidance, and directives to identify the current rights and protections afforded to small business owners that are selected for inspection, audit, or other enforcement action by the agency; and (2) No later than August 31, 2017, provide the attorney general with certain information. Expires December 31, 2017.
ESHB 1493	Biometric identifiers	S Rules 2	Morris	Medium	Neutral
	Concerning biometric identifiers. HB 1493-S - DIGEST Prohibits a person, as defined in this act, from enrolling a biometric identifier in a database for a commercial purpose, without first providing notice, obtaining consent, or providing a mechanism to prevent the subsequent use of a biometric identifier for a commercial purpose.
EHB 1506	Workplaces/gender pay equity	S Rules 2	Senn	Medium	Oppose
	Addressing workplace practices to achieve gender pay equity. Updates the existing state equal pay act to address income disparities, employer discrimination, retaliation practices, and the equal status of workers in this state.
ESHB 1796	Pregnancy accommodations	S Rules 2	Farrell	Medium	Neutral
	Providing reasonable accommodations in the workplace for pregnant women. Prohibits an employer from failing or refusing to make reasonable accommodation for an employee for pregnancy. Requires the attorney general to investigate complaints and enforce this act. Provides that this act is null and void if appropriations are not approved.
EHB 1967	Noncompetition agreements	S Rules 2	Stanford	Medium	Neutral
	Concerning noncompetition agreements. HB 1967 - DIGEST Requires an employer, in order for a noncompetition agreement to be enforceable, to: (1) Disclose the terms of the agreement in writing to the prospective employee no later than the time of the offer of employment; or (2) If the agreement is entered into after the commencement of employment, provide independent consideration for the agreement.
ESSB 5048 (SHB 1067)	Operating budget	H Passed 3rd	Braun	High	Concerns
	Making 2017-2019 fiscal biennium operating appropriations. Makes 2017-2019 fiscal biennium operating appropriations.
SB 5230 (HB 1352)	Small business owners	H Rules R	Wilson	Medium	Support
	Concerning licensing and regulatory requirements of small business owners. Requires the attorney general to review the administrative procedure act, as well as related administrative rules, similar statutes, and case law, to identify the current rights and protections afforded to small business owners selected for agency enforcement actions including inspections, audits, site visits, or record review. Requires the department of agriculture, department of ecology, employment security department, department of labor and industries, department of revenue, and state fire marshal to: (1) Review provisions of their governing statutes, administrative rules, policy statements, guidance, and directives to identify the current rights and protections afforded to small business owners that are selected for inspection, audit, or other enforcement action by the agency; and (2) No later than August 31, 2017, provide the attorney general with certain information. Expires December 31, 2017.
ESSB 5312	Criminal record/employment	H Approps	Baumgartner	Medium	Neutral
	Prohibiting certain employers from including any question on an application about an applicant's criminal record, inquiring either orally or in writing about an applicant's criminal records, or obtaining information from a criminal background check, until after the employer initially determines that the applicant is otherwise qualified. SB 5312-S - DIGEST Establishes the Washington fair chance act. Prohibits an employer from including a question on an application for employment regarding information about the applicant's criminal record until after the employer determines that the applicant is otherwise qualified for the position.
SSB 5798	Rules, yearly expiration	S not subst	Braun	Medium	Support
	Changing rule-making requirements to require a yearly expiration. Requires a rule adopted or amended before November 1st of any year to expire on June 1st of the year following adoption unless the legislature acts to postpone the expiration, unless the agency adopting the rule has successfully completed an excellence assessment by an independent examiner.
SSB 5835	Health outcomes/pregnancy	H Approps	Keiser	Medium	Neutral
	Promoting healthy outcomes for pregnant women and infants. Requires the state health care authority to: (1) Require that health care facilities that provide newborn delivery services to medical assistance clients establish certain policies and procedures regarding placement of a newborn on the mother's chest and room-in practices where the newborn and mother share the same room; (2) Provide guidelines for hospitals to use when establishing the policies and procedures; (3) Require managed care organizations to report on the frequency in which they are able to adhere to the policies and procedures; and (4) Include advanced registered nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives when establishing certain performance measures. Requires the department of labor and industries to provide online education materials explaining the respective rights and responsibilities of employers and employees who have a health condition related to pregnancy or childbirth. Requires the attorney general to investigate complaints and provide enforcement. Creates the healthy pregnancy advisory committee to: (1) Develop a strategy for improving maternal and infant health outcomes; and (2) Conduct its activities in consultation with the maternal mortality review panel. Provides a July 1, 2019, expiration date for the healthy pregnancy advisory committee.

HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE - HEALTHY & SAFE COMMUNITIES

Bill Details		Status	Sponsor	Priority	Position
2EHB 2107	Mental health placements	H Passed 3rd	Schmick	Medium	Neutral
	Concerning the addition of services for long-term placement of mental health patients in community settings that voluntarily contract to provide the services. HB 2107 - DIGEST Revises the community mental health services act with regard to the insufficient capacity at eastern and western state hospitals to meet current and growing demand for services and patients. Requires the department of social and health services and the entities identified in RCW 71.24.310 and 71.24.380 (sections 2 and 3 of this act) to: (1) Work with willing community hospitals to assess their capacity to become certified to provide long-term mental health placements and to meet the requirements of the community mental health services act; and (2) Enter into contracts and payment arrangements with the hospitals choosing to provide long-term mental health placements.
SSB 5864	Ending homelessness	S 2nd Reading	Miloscia	Medium	Neutral
	Concerning the goal of ending homelessness. Addresses the homelessness crisis in the state and the goal of ending that crisis. Makes appropriations from the general fund to the department of commerce to be distributed to five housing authorities and five community action agencies to: (1) Implement a quality management system; and (2) Prepare and submit an application to the Washington quality awards program. Makes an appropriation from the performance audits of government account to the state auditor's office for an audit to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of state homeless programs.
ESSB 5894	Behavioral health system	H Approps	O'Ban	Medium	Neutral
	Concerning behavioral health system reform. Revises the involuntary treatment act, the community mental health services act, criminally insane provisions, and public and private facilities for the mentally ill with regard to: (1) Integrating risk for long-term civil involuntary treatment into managed care; (2) Development of community long-term involuntary treatment capacity; (3) State hospital short-term reforms; (4) Improving access to assisted outpatient mental health treatment; (5) Reducing demand for forensic services; (6) Addressing managed care entities to provide fully integrated care; and (7) Data measurement.

HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE - WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT/EDUCATION

Bill Details		Status	Sponsor	Priority	Position
ESHB 1017	School siting	S 2nd Reading	McCaslin	Medium	Support
	Addressing the siting of schools and school facilities. HB 1017-S - DIGEST Authorizes a county to allow for up to three school sites to be sited in rural areas, following a determination by the county decision maker. Requires a school district, in a county that chooses to site schools, to participate in the county's periodic updates required by the growth management act.
HB 1646 (SB 5509)	Carbon tax	H Environment	Fitzgibbon	High	Oppose
	Promoting an equitable clean energy economy by creating a carbon tax that allows investment in clean energy, clean air, healthy forests, and Washington's communities. Creates a carbon pollution mitigation tax on fossil fuel emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change. Creates the carbon program oversight board to oversee implementation of this act and advise the governor on the achievement of greenhouse gas emission reductions. Creates an economic and environmental justice oversight panel as a joint body between the office of the governor, the department of ecology, and the department of health. Requires the department of revenue to establish and administer a low-income carbon pollution mitigation tax grant for state residents to assist in the equitable transition to lower carbon emission energy sources. Involves the following in some role regarding the imposition of the carbon tax: The department of ecology, the department of revenue, the department of commerce, the department of health, the Washington State University extension energy office, the recreation and conservation office, the office of the attorney general, and other state agencies with control of expenditures of carbon pollution mitigation tax receipts. Creates the clean energy account, the clean water climate program account, the sustainable forest health account, the carbon reduction investment fund, the sustainable infrastructure fund, and the equitable transition fund.
ESHB 1843 (SB 5623)	Basic education program	S Ways & Means	Sullivan	High
	Fulfilling the state's paramount duty for all children through equitable and responsible investments in the state's basic education program and reductions to local effort contributions. HB 1843-S - DIGEST Addresses equitable and responsible investments in the state's basic education program and reductions to local effort contributions to fulfill the state's paramount duty for all children. Requires the superintendent of public instruction to: (1) Convene a technical working group to provide recommendations for revising school district accounting practices for the purpose of improving fiscal transparency by establishing methods for separate accounting of school district expenditures made to support the state's program of basic education and those made as locally determined enrichments with local or other funding sources; and (2) Convene a work group to determine whether the funded enrollment percent for special education programs of twelve and seven-tenths should be adjusted. Establishes an accountability monitoring and reporting system as part of a continuing effort to make meaningful and substantial progress toward meeting long-term performance goals in K-12 education.
HB 2185	Basic education program	H Approps	Lytton	High	Neutral
	Fulfilling the state's paramount duty for all children through equitable and responsible investments in the state's basic education program and reductions to local effort contributions. Addresses the state's basic education program with regard to: (1) Salary allocations; (2) Local maintenance and operation levies--local effort assistance; (3) Enhancement of the program of basic education; and (4) Reporting, accounting, and transparency.
HB 2186	Taxes	H Finance	Lytton	High	Concerns
	Concerning investing in Washington families by improving the fairness of the state's excise tax system by narrowing or eliminating tax preferences, imposing a business and occupation tax surcharge while eliminating tax liability for small businesses, enacting an excise tax on capital gains, modifying the real estate excise tax, making administrative changes, and implementing marketplace fairness in Washington. Addresses the state's tax system with regard to: (1) Capital gains taxes; (2) Business and occupation tax rate change and deduction; (3) Eliminating the sales and use tax exemption for bottled water; (4) Repealing the preferential business and occupation tax rate for warehousing and reselling prescription drugs; (5) Narrowing a use tax exemption for self-produced fuel; (6) Eliminating the preferential business and occupation tax rate for international investment management services; (7) Nonresident sales tax exemption remittances; (8) Graduated real estate excise tax rates; (9) Real estate excise tax on foreclosures; (10) Requiring local governments that issue building permits to supply subcontractor information to the department of revenue; (11) Remote sellers, referrers, and marketplace facilitators; (12) The expansion of an individual's liability for an entity's unpaid tax obligations; (13) Reducing interest on tax refunds; and (14) Transfers to the education legacy trust account.
SSB 5607	Education	H Approps	Braun	High
	Concerning education. Revises education provisions with regard to: The weighted per pupil funding model; local effort levy; local excess levy authority for calendar year 2020 and thereafter; providing a one-year delay in the levy lid reduction; compensation and salary; housing allowance; national board for professional teaching standards bonus; state-funded extended year contracts; health care benefits; measures of a school district's success; accountability through improved accounting transparency; providing flexibility to school districts; recognizing school districts meeting the performance targets; addressing school districts not meeting the performance targets; establishing the top teacher recognition grant program; conforming future collective bargaining agreements to this act; prohibiting teacher strikes; student absenteeism; paraeducators; technical amendments to align statutes with the per pupil funding distribution model and recognizing and rewarding school districts that meet the measures of success; education sector excellence assessment framework; and authority to remove teachers that are detrimental to student academic performance. Provides for submission of this act to a vote of the people.
SSB 5853	Career & technical education	S WMDPS	Walsh	High	Support
	Concerning career and technical education funding.
ESSB 5875	Education reform revisions	H Approps	Braun	High	Concerns
	Relating to education. Introduced by title and introductory section only, relating to education.

OTHER CHAMBER BILLS

Bill Details		Status	Sponsor	Priority	Position
SHB 1183 (2SSB 5300)	Creative districts	S Rules 2	McBride	Medium	Support
	Authorizing specified local governments to designate a portion of their territory as a creative district subject to certification by the Washington state arts commission. Authorizes a local government to designate a creative district within its territorial boundaries subject to certification as a state-certified creative district by the state arts commission. Authorizes the state arts commission to create a process for review of applications submitted by local governments or federally recognized Indian tribes for certification of state-certified creative districts.
2SSB 5300 (SHB 1183)	Creative districts	H Rules R	Zeiger	Medium	Support
	Authorizing specified local governments to designate a portion of their territory as a creative district subject to certification by the Washington state arts commission. Authorizes a local government to designate a creative district within its territorial boundaries subject to certification as a state-certified creative district by the state arts commission. Authorizes the state arts commission to create a process for review of applications submitted by local governments or federally recognized Indian tribes for certification of state-certified creative districts.

TRANSPORTATION

Bill Details		Status	Sponsor	Priority	Position
HB 1146 (SB 5095)	Trans sup budget 2015-2017	H Trans	Clibborn	High	Concerns
	Making 2015-2017 supplemental transportation appropriations. Makes 2015-2017 supplemental transportation appropriations.
SHB 1147 (SSB 5096)	Transport. budget 2017-2019	H 2nd Reading	Clibborn	High	Concerns
	Making transportation appropriations for the 2017-2019 fiscal biennium. Makes transportation appropriations for the 2017-2019 fiscal biennium.
HB 2066	Regional trans planning orgs	S Transportation	Kretz	Medium	Support
	Authorizing the creation of regional transportation planning organizations by large counties. Allows the creation of a regional transportation planning organization in a county that has a population of at least forty thousand and covers a geographic area of at least five thousand square miles.
HB 2166 (SB 5817)	RTA tax nullification	H Trans	Harmsworth	Medium	Neutral
	Nullifying the imposition of certain taxes within regional transit authority boundaries. Authorizes taxes approved by regional transit authority voters after January 1, 2015, to be nullified within the complete boundaries of a city or county within a regional transit authority if certain conditions are met.
HB 2167 (SB 5854)	RTA tax nullification	H Trans	Harmsworth	Medium	Neutral
	Nullifying the imposition of certain taxes within regional transit authority boundaries. Authorizes taxes approved by regional transit authority voters to be nullified within the complete boundaries of a city or county within a regional transit authority if certain conditions are met.
HB 2168 (SB 5893)	RTA MVET administration	H Trans	Harmsworth	Medium	Neutral
	Concerning the administration of motor vehicle excise taxes by regional transit authorities. Authorizes a regional transit authority to contract with the department of licensing for the collection of a motor vehicle excise tax only if the tax is based solely on the vehicle valuation method identified below. Requires the contract to provide that the department of licensing will receive amounts sufficient to fully cover the costs applicable to the tax collection process. Requires the value of a motor vehicle, as an alternative to the vehicle valuation method described in RCW 81.104.160(1)(a), for the purpose of determining a motor vehicle excise tax imposed by a regional transit authority, to be based on base model Kelley blue book values or national automobile dealers association values, whichever is lower.
SSB 5096 (SHB 1147)	Transportation budget	S Rules 2	King	High	Neutral
	Making transportation appropriations for the 2015-2017 and 2017-2019 fiscal biennia. Makes transportation appropriations for the 2015-2017 and 2017-2019 fiscal biennia.
SB 5621	Econ devel & transp projects	H Rules R	Brown	Medium	Support
	Concerning projects of statewide significance for economic development and transportation. Establishes the community prosperity and revitalization act. Provides a mechanism for local governments and state and federal agencies to perform a coordinated and comprehensive review of projects of statewide significance and encourages their expeditious completion.