This bill creates a new legislative finding and statement of intent that use of the additional lodging assessment authorized by RCW 35.101.057 has supported tourism growth and that the legislature intends to permit the additional assessment to continue in a timely manner. It amends RCW 35.101.057 to allow a legislative authority, in addition to the two-dollar per night charge authorized by RCW 35.101.050, to impose an additional charge of up to three dollars per night on the furnishing of lodging by a lodging business in the area. The amendment adds procedural requirements to impose the additional charge: signatures from persons who operate lodging businesses who would pay 60 percent or more of the proposed charges must be provided, along with the proposed uses and projects for the revenue, total estimated costs, and the estimated rate with a proposed breakdown by class of lodging business if classes are used. The text shown also removes an expiration date for the section (deleting “This section expires July 1, 2027”), so the provision would no longer include that sunset date. This is a modification of existing law (an amendment to RCW 35.101.057) that creates a new legislative finding, adds a procedural prerequisite for imposing an additional local lodging charge, and removes the previously stated expiration. The excerpt does not define terms such as “legislative authority,” “lodging business,” or “area,” does not include the text of RCW 35.101.050, and does not show other implementing, enforcement, collection, or distribution provisions that may appear elsewhere. Procedural history shown: prefiled 01/06/26; read first time 01/12/26; referred to the Committee on Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans.

If enacted, local legislative authorities would be able to continue charging an extra lodging fee of up to $3 per night in addition to the existing $2 per night charge, with the prior expiration date removed so the authority to collect that extra fee could persist beyond July 1, 2027. That change would create a longer-term revenue stream earmarked to support tourism growth, and lodging businesses would likely see that cost added to nightly rates or otherwise reflected in their pricing. The practical burdens fall on local governments and lodging operators: legislative authorities gain an ongoing fundraising option but must secure signatures from operators who would pay 60 percent or more of the proposed charges and supply proposed uses, total estimated costs, and a rate breakdown if classes of lodging are used. The bill text does not define several key terms or explain how the charge is collected, enforced, or distributed, so those implementation details and practical impacts on administrative cost and who ultimately bears the charge remain unclear.