Committee adopts amendment and advances targeted urban area tax preference bill

House Bill 1210, described by committee staff Christina King, would expand the targeted urban area tax preference to include existing building improvements, apply certain labor standards, and allow cities to extend project completion deadlines for clean energy transformation businesses.

Christina King told the committee: "House Bill 12 10, this is the targeted urban area tax preference. It includes real property with existing building improvements to qualify for the preference. It applies certain labor standards. It allows cities to extend the project completion deadline, up to 4 years for clean energy transformation businesses."

Representative Grama moved amendment KRNG 47, which the committee recorded as changing the definition of "clean energy transformation business" to include activities such as constructing or operating under a license issued by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, producing equipment to produce green electrolytic hydrogen or renewable hydrogen, and producing energy storage equipment capable of transmitting at 500 kilovolts or greater; the amendment was described as removing some redundant definitions. Representative Rammell and others signaled the amendment was received as friendly; the committee adopted KRNG 47.

Representative Wallen moved that the adopted amendments be incorporated into substitute House Bill 12 10 and that the substitute bill be reported out of committee with a due pass recommendation. The substitute bill was reported out on a roll-call tally of 11 ayes, 3 nays, and one excused. Representatives recorded as voting nay were Orcutt, Jacobson and Abel. Ayes included Chase, Mena, Partially, Penner, Rammell, Santos, Scott, Springer, Wallin and Wiley. Staff announced the final tally as 11 ayes, 3 nays, and 1 excused; Chair Berg announced that the substitute bill "as reported out of committee with a due pass recommendation."