Washington SB 5879: Relating to revenue.

Bill Text

AN ACT Relating to modifying joint legislative audit and review 1
committee work plans to ensure efficient use of staff resources; and 2
amending RCW 67.28.1816 and 50.22.157.3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 67.28.1816 and 2013 c 196 s 1 are each amended to 5
read as follows:6
(1) Lodging tax revenues under this chapter may be used, directly 7
by any municipality or indirectly through a convention and visitors 8
bureau or destination marketing organization for:9
(a) Tourism marketing;10
(b) The marketing and operations of special events and festivals 11
designed to attract tourists;12
(c) Supporting the operations and capital expenditures of 13
tourism-related facilities owned or operated by a municipality or a 14
public facilities district created under chapters 35.57 and 36.100 15
RCW; or16
(d) Supporting the operations of tourism-related facilities owned 17
or operated by nonprofit organizations described under 26 U.S.C. Sec. 18
501(c)(3) and 26 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c)(6) of the internal revenue code 19
of 1986, as amended.20
S-3564.1
SENATE BILL 5879
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senator Wagoner
Prefiled 12/12/25.
p. 1 SB 5879

(2)(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, applicants 1
applying for use of revenues in this chapter must provide the 2
municipality to which they are applying estimates of how any moneys 3
received will result in increases in the number of people traveling 4
for business or pleasure on a trip:5
(i) Away from their place of residence or business and staying 6
overnight in paid accommodations;7
(ii) To a place ((fifty)) 50 miles or more one way from their 8
place of residence or business for the day or staying overnight; or9
(iii) From another country or state outside of their place of 10
residence or their business.11
(b)(i) In a municipality with a population of ((five thousand)) 12
5,000 or more, applicants applying for use of revenues in this 13
chapter must submit their applications and estimates described under 14
(a) of this subsection to the local lodging tax advisory committee.15
(ii) The local lodging tax advisory committee must select the 16
candidates from amongst the applicants applying for use of revenues 17
in this chapter and provide a list of such candidates and recommended 18
amounts of funding to the municipality for final determination. The 19
municipality may choose only recipients from the list of candidates 20
and recommended amounts provided by the local lodging tax advisory 21
committee.22
(c)(((i))) All recipients must submit a report to the 23
municipality describing the actual number of people traveling for 24
business or pleasure on a trip:25
(((A))) (i) Away from their place of residence or business and 26
staying overnight in paid accommodations;27
(((B))) (ii) To a place ((fifty)) 50 miles or more one way from 28
their place of residence or business for the day or staying 29
overnight; or30
(((C))) (iii) From another country or state outside of their 31
place of residence or their business. A municipality receiving a 32
report must: Make such report available to the local legislative body 33
and the public; and furnish copies of the report to the joint 34
legislative audit and review committee and members of the local 35
lodging tax advisory committee.36
(((ii) The joint legislative audit and review committee must on a 37
biennial basis report to the economic development committees of the 38
legislature on the use of lodging tax revenues by municipalities. 39
Reporting under this subsection must begin in calendar year 2015.))40
p. 2 SB 5879

(d) This section does not apply to the revenues of any lodging 1
tax authorized under this chapter imposed by a county with a 2
population of ((one million five hundred thousand)) 1,500,000 or 3
more.4
Sec. 2. RCW 50.22.157 and 2016 c 197 s 6 are each amended to 5
read as follows:6
(((1))) The employment security department shall report to the 7
appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2016, and 8
every five years thereafter, on the status of the training benefits 9
program and the resulting outcomes. The report shall include a survey 10
based assessment of the employment outcomes for program participants 11
within the previous three years. The department shall also include in 12
its report:13
(((a))) (1) A demographic analysis of participants in the 14
training benefits program under this section including the number of 15
claimants per North American industry classification system code and 16
the gender, race, age, and geographic representation of participants;17
(((b))) (2) The duration of training benefits claimed per 18
claimant;19
(((c))) (3) An analysis of the training provided to participants 20
including the occupational category supported by the training, 21
whether the training received would lead to employment in a high-22
demand occupation, whether a degree or certificate is required in 23
that occupationa