Bill Text: CA SB531 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

California Senate Bill 531 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Local agencies: retailers.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2020-01-13 - Veto sustained. [SB531 Detail]

Download: California-2019-SB531-Amended.html

Amended IN Senate March 25, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 531

Introduced by Senator Glazer

February 21, 2019

~~An act relating to local government.~~ An act to amend Section 53084.5 of the Government Code, relating to local government.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 531, as amended, Glazer. ~~Local government: corporations: economic incentives.~~ Local agencies: retailers.

The Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law authorizes counties and cities to impose a local sales and use tax in accordance with that law for tangible personal property sold at retail in the county or city, or purchased for storage, use, or other consumption in the county or city. That law requires the county or city to contract with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration for the administration of the taxes and requires the department to transmit those taxes to the city or county. That law provides that for the purpose of a local sales tax adopted pursuant to that law, all retail sales are consummated at the place of business of the retailer unless otherwise specified.
Existing law prohibits a local agency, defined to mean all cities and counties, from entering into any form of agreement that would result, directly or indirectly, in the payment, transfer, diversion, or rebate of Bradley-Burns local tax revenues to any person, as defined, for any purpose, if the agreement results in a reduction in the amount of Bradley-Burns local tax revenues that, in the absence of the agreement, would be received by another local agency and the retailer continues to maintain a physical presence within the territorial jurisdiction of that other local agency, with specified exceptions.
This bill would additionally prohibit, on or after January 1, 2020, a local agency from entering into any form of agreement that would result, directly or indirectly, in the payment, transfer, diversion, or rebate of Bradley-Burns local tax revenues to any retailer, as defined, in exchange for the retailer locating a warehouse, sales center, or fulfillment center within the territorial jurisdiction of the local agency if the warehouse, sales center, or fulfillment center would generate revenue for the local agency under the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law.
The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.
Existing sales and use tax laws impose taxes on retailers measured by gross receipts from the sale of tangible personal property sold at retail in this state, or on the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of tangible personal property purchased from a retailer for storage, use, or other consumption in this state, measured by sales price.
The Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law authorizes counties and cities to impose a local sales and use tax in accordance with that law for tangible personal property sold at retail in the county or city, or purchased for storage, use, or other consumption in the county or city. That law requires the county or city to contract with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration for the administration of the taxes and requires the department to transmit those taxes to the city or county.
This bill would state the Legislature’s intent to enact legislation that would prohibit a local government from agreeing to offer economic incentives in an amount measured by local sales tax revenue to a private corporation in exchange for the corporation locating within the local government’s jurisdiction.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 53084.5 of the Government Code is amended to read:

53084.5.

(a) On or after January 1, 2016, a local agency shall not enter into any form of agreement that would result, directly or indirectly, in the payment, transfer, diversion, or rebate of any tax revenue resulting from the imposition of a sales and use tax under the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law (Part 1.5 (commencing with Section 7200) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code) to any person for any purpose when both of the following apply:

(1) The agreement results in a reduction in the amount of revenue under the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law that, in the absence of the agreement, would be received by another local agency.

(2) The retailer continues to maintain a physical presence within the territorial jurisdiction of that other local agency.

(b) (1) A local agency entering into an agreement that results in a reduction of the amount of revenue under the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law that, in the absence of the agreement, would be received by another local agency shall post the proposed agreement on its ~~Internet Web site~~ internet website for at least 30 days prior to ratification or approval of that agreement by its governing body.

(2) A local agency entering into an agreement that results in a reduction of the amount of revenue under the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law that, in the absence of the agreement, would be received by another local agency shall notify the other local agency by certified mail addressed to the attention of the chief executive of that other local agency at least 60 days prior to ratification or approval of that agreement by its governing body.

(3) A local agency shall post any agreement on its ~~Internet Web site~~ internet website it has entered into that results in a reduction of the amount of revenue under the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law that, in the absence of the agreement, would be received by another local agency, including any agreements entered into prior to January 1, 2016, that are still in effect on and after that date.

(c) On or after January 1, 2020, a local agency shall not enter into any form of agreement that would result, directly or indirectly, in the payment, transfer, diversion, or rebate of any tax revenue resulting from the imposition of a sales and use tax under the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law (Part 1.5 (commencing with Section 7200) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code) to any retailer in exchange for the retailer locating a warehouse, sales center, or fulfillment center within the territorial jurisdiction of the local agency if the warehouse, sales center, or fulfillment center would generate revenue for the local agency under the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law (Part 1.5 (commencing with Section 7200) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code).
~~(c)~~

(d) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

(1) “Local agency” means a chartered or general law city, a chartered or general law county, or a city and county, of this state.

(2) “Person” means a person as defined in Section 6005 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.

(3) “Physical presence” means the lease or ownership of any real property for the purpose of carrying on business operations.

(4) “Retailer” means a retailer as defined by Section 6015 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.

~~(d)~~

(e) This section shall not apply to any agreement by a local agency to pay or rebate any use tax revenue resulting from the imposition of a use tax under the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law relating to a use tax direct payment permit issued under Section 7051.3 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.

~~(e)~~

(f) This section shall not be interpreted to limit the ability of a local agency to contract with or otherwise enter into an agreement pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 7056 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.

~~(f)~~

(g) This section shall not apply to any mutual tax revenue sharing agreement between local agencies to pay, transfer, or divert tax revenues that would be received by a local agency resulting from the imposition of a sales and use tax under the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law to another local agency, and where the agreement would not result, directly or indirectly, in the payment, transfer, diversion, or rebate of those tax revenues to a retailer.

SEC. 2.
The Legislature finds and declares that Section 1 of this act amending Section 53084.5 of the Government Code addresses a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair as that term is used in Section 5 of Article XI of the California Constitution. Therefore, Section 1 of this act applies to all cities, including charter cities.

SECTION 1.
It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would prohibit a local government from agreeing to offer economic incentives in an amount measured by local sales tax revenue to a private corporation in exchange for the corporation locating within the local government’s jurisdiction.