In light of recent headlines outlining how Sound Transit calculated the value of vehicles subject to a Motor Vehicle Excise Tax (MVET) to pay for the Sound Transit 3 package (ST3), legislators have introduced a slew of bills to address the issue. According to a recent Seattle Times article, the ST3 car-tab increase is based upon an “inflated formula that it inherited from the State Legislature to calculate how much a car is worth, and how much its owner should be taxed.”
This recent development has prompted many legislators to draft legislation in response. The following is a list of many of these bills. While it is unknown what the outcome will be for any of these, many of the major cutoff dates for bills to advance have passed. We will continue to provide updates on any bills that move through the legislative process.
HB 2147/SB 5905: Concerning taxpayer relief for persons subject to a motor vehicle excise tax imposed by a regional transit authority. Sponsored by Rep. Mike Pellicciotti (D-Federal Way) and Sen. Steve Hobbs (D-Lake Stevens) these bills direct Sound Transit to use a different valuation method for vehicles for bond debt incurred before January 1, 2017. HB 2147 has not been scheduled for public hearing at this time. SB 5905 is scheduled for public hearing on March 27 in the Senate Transportation Committee.
HB 2148/SB 5906: Establishing a regional transit authority rebate program for low-income individuals. Sponsored by Rep. Kristine Reeves (D-Federal Way) and Sen. Rebecca Saldana (D-Seattle) these bills authorize Sound Transit to provide rebates of up to 45 percent of the motor vehicle excise tax, property tax, or both, paid by a low-income individual. HB 2148 has not been scheduled for public hearing at this time. SB 5906 is scheduled for public hearing on March 27 in the Senate Transportation Committee.
HB 2149/SB 5908: Requiring a taxpayer accountability statement to be included with regional transit authority motor vehicle excise taxes. Sponsored by Rep. John Lovick (D-Mill Creek) and Sen. Guy Palumbo (D-Maltby), these bills require that a Sound Transit taxpayer accountability statement be placed on the annual registration renewal notifications provided by the Department of Licensing, which will contain easy-to-access and easy-to-understand information on Sound Transit project status and financial audits. Neither bill has been scheduled for public hearing at this time.
HB 2150/SB 5909: Requiring a taxpayer accountability statement to be included with regional transit authority property taxes. Sponsored by Rep. Shelley Kloba (D-Kirkland) and Sen. Guy Palumbo (D-Bothell) these bills require that Sound Transit taxpayer accountability statements be provided with property tax notices. Neither bill has been scheduled for public hearing at this time.
HB 2166/SB 5817: Nullifying the imposition of certain taxes within regional transit authority boundaries. Sponsored by Rep. Mark Harmsworth (R-Mill Creek) and Sen. Dino Rossi (R-Sammamish) these bills allow through voter-approved propositions or votes of a city or county legislative authority to nullify certain Sound Transit taxes. Neither bill has been scheduled for public hearing at this time.
HB 2168/SB 5893: Concerning the administration of motor vehicle excise taxes by regional transit authorities. Sponsored by Rep. Harmsworth and Sen. Steve O’Ban (R-University Place), these bills authorize a regional transit authority to contract with the department of licensing for the collection of a motor vehicle excise tax only if vehicle valuation is based upon Kelley Blue Book values or National Automobile Dealers Association values, whichever is lower.
HB 2168 is not currently scheduled for public hearing. SB 5893 is scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee on March 27.