This bill creates a new property tax exemption in chapter 84.36 RCW for real property owned by people age 75 or older. The exemption is limited to the claimant’s principal residence at the time the claim is filed and applies to state and local property tax for taxes levied for collection in 2026 and thereafter. To qualify for exemption in the year following the claim and each year after, a claimant must be 75 years old on December 31 of the year following the year in which the claim is filed. Ownership must exist at the time of filing and may include ownership in fee, a life estate, contract purchase, or a cooperative share representing the unit; marital community, state registered domestic partnership ownership, or cotenancy is treated as ownership by each spouse, partner, or cotenant and a marital community or registered domestic partnership may claim the exemption if at least one eligible person is 75 or older. The law allows a claimant who sells, transfers, or is displaced from the residence to transfer exemption status to a replacement residence, but no claimant may receive an exemption on more than one residence in any year. Confinement in a licensed care setting does not disqualify an otherwise eligible claimant if the residence is temporarily unoccupied, is occupied by a spouse or domestic partner or a person financially dependent on the claimant, or is rented to pay care costs; “relative” for that confinement section is limited to persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption. The bill also states that RCW 82.32.805 and 82.32.808 do not apply to this act. This is a new statutory tax exemption (not a criminal or penalty change) and sets eligibility and ownership conditions and limited procedural timing for claims, but the text provided does not include where or how to file a claim, a full definition of “residence,” administrative implementation, appeals or audit procedures, any fiscal impact or appropriations, or how it interacts with existing exemptions. These administrative and implementation details are therefore uncertain from the provided text.

If enacted, homeowners who are 75 or older would no longer owe state or local property tax on their principal residence starting with taxes levied for collection in 2026, and the exemption would apply regardless of household income. Qualifying ownership forms include fee simple, life estate, contract purchase, cooperative shares, marital community or registered domestic partnership ownership, and cotenancy; only one residence can be exempt per year, the exemption can move to a replacement residence if the owner sells or is displaced, and temporary confinement in long‑term care or renting the home under specified conditions won’t automatically disqualify someone. The most affected parties are seniors who own their homes (and their spouses or partners and co‑owners), who would see their property tax bills eliminated, and local taxing districts and governments, which would likely lose property tax revenue as a result. Important implementation details are missing from the text provided — for example, where and how to file a claim, a clear definition of “residence,” which agency will administer and verify eligibility, and the fiscal accounting for lost revenues — so the timing and mechanics of getting the exemption and the exact budget impact are unclear.