(1) The legislative authority in each county must levy, in addition to the taxes now levied by law, a tax in a sum equal to the amount that would be raised by not less than one and one-eighth cents per thousand dollars of assessed value, and not greater than twenty-seven cents per thousand dollars of assessed value against the taxable property of their respective counties, to be levied and collected as now prescribed by law for the assessment and collection of taxes, for the purpose of creating a veterans’ assistance fund. Expenditures from the veterans’ assistance fund, and interest earned on balances from the fund, may be used only for:

(a) The veterans’ assistance programs authorized by RCW 73.08.010;

(b) The lawful disposition of the remains as defined in RCW 68.04.020 of a deceased indigent veteran or deceased family member of an indigent veteran as authorized by RCW 73.08.070; and

(c) The direct and indirect costs incurred in the administration of the fund as authorized by subsection (2) of this section.

(2) If the funds on deposit in the veterans’ assistance fund, less outstanding warrants, on the first Tuesday in September exceed the lesser of the expected yield of one and one-eighth cents per thousand dollars of assessed value against the taxable property of the county or the expected yield of a levy determined as set forth in subsection (5) of this section, the county legislative authority may levy a lesser amount than would otherwise be required under subsection (1) or (5) of this section.

(3) The direct and indirect costs incurred in the administration of the veterans’ assistance fund must be computed by the county auditor, or the chief financial officer in a county operating under a charter, not less than annually. Following the computation of these direct and indirect costs, an amount equal to these costs may then be transferred from the veterans’ assistance fund to the county current expense fund.

(4) The amount of a levy allocated to the purposes specified in this section may be reduced in the same proportion as the regular property tax levy of the county is reduced by chapter 84.55 RCW.

(5)(a) The amount of a levy allocated to the purposes specified in this section may be modified from the amount required by subsection (1) of this section as follows:

(i) If the certified levy is reduced from the preceding year’s certified levy, the amount of the levy allocated to the purposes specified in this section may be reduced by no more than the same percentage as the certified levy is reduced from the preceding year’s certified levy;

(ii) If the certified levy is increased from the preceding year’s certified levy, the amount of the levy allocated to the purposes specified in this section may not be less than the base allocation increased by the same percentage as the certified levy is increased from the preceding year’s certified levy. However, the amount of the levy allocated to the purposes specified in this section does not have to be increased under this subsection (5)(a)(ii) for the portion of a certified levy increase resulting from a voter-approved increase under RCW 84.55.050 that is dedicated to a specific purpose; or

(iii) If the certified levy is unchanged from the preceding year’s certified levy, the amount of the levy allocated to the purposes specified in this section must be equal to or greater than the base allocation.

(b) For purposes of this subsection, the following definitions apply:

(i) “Base allocation” means the most recent allocation that was not reduced under subsection (2) of this section.

(ii) “Certified levy” means the property tax levy for general county purposes certified to the county assessor as required by RCW 84.52.070, excluding any amounts certified under chapters 84.69 and 84.68 RCW.

(6) Subsections (2), (4), and (5) of this section do not preclude a county from increasing the levy amount in subsection (1) of this section to an amount that is greater than the change in the regular county levy.

Effective date—2019 c 432: See note following RCW 68.05.175.

Intent—2005 c 250: See note following RCW 73.08.005.

Effective date—Applicability—1980 c 155: See note following RCW 84.40.030.

Emergency—Effective dates—1973 2nd ex.s. c 4: See notes following RCW 84.52.043.

Severability—Effective dates and termination dates—Construction—1973 1st ex.s. c 195: See notes following RCW 84.52.043.