H. B. 4679
(By Delegate Spencer)
[Introduced February 27, 1998; referred to the
Committee on Finance.]
A BILL to amend article twenty-seven, chapter eleven of the code
of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated
section thirty-six, relating to a reduction and then phasing
out all health provider taxes within three years.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article twenty-seven, chapter eleven of the code of
West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended,
be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section
thirty-six, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 27. HEALTH CARE PROVIDER TAXES.
§11-27-36. Reduction and abolishment of tax.
(a) The taxes imposed by sections four, five, six,
thirteen, fourteen, seventeen, eighteen and nineteen of this article shall be reduced, beginning on the first day of July, one
thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, to one and one-quarter
percent. Beginning on the first day of July, two thousand, the
tax shall be further reduced to three quarters of one percent.
Beginning on the first day of July, two thousand one, the tax
shall be further reduced to one quarter of one percent.
Beginning on the first day of July, two thousand two, the tax
shall be abolished.
(b) The taxes imposed by sections seven, ten and eleven of
this article shall be reduced, beginning on the first day of
July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, to three and
two-thirds percent. Beginning on the first day of July, two
thousand, the tax shall be further reduced to one and
three-quarters percent. Beginning on the first day of July, two
thousand one, the tax shall be further reduced to three quarters
of one percent. Beginning on the first day of July, two thousand
two, the tax shall be abolished.
(c) The taxes imposed by sections nine and fifteen of this
article shall be reduced, beginning on the first day of July, one
thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, to one and one-half percent.
Beginning on the first day of July, two thousand, the tax shall
be further reduced to three-quarters percent. Beginning on the
first day of July, two thousand one, the tax shall be further
reduced to three quarters of one percent. Beginning on the first day of July, two thousand two, the tax shall be abolished.
(d) The tax imposed by section twelve of this article shall
be reduced, beginning on the first day of July, one thousand nine
hundred ninety-nine, to one-half percent. Beginning on the first
day of July, two thousand, the tax shall be further reduced to
one-quarter percent. Beginning on the first day of July, two
thousand one, the tax shall be abolished.
(e) The tax imposed by section sixteen of this article
shall be reduced, beginning on the first day of July, one
thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, to one and one-third percent.
Beginning on the first day of July, two thousand, the tax shall
be further reduced to two-thirds percent. Beginning on the first
day of July, two thousand one, the tax shall be further reduced
to three quarters of one percent. Beginning on the first day of
July, two thousand two, the tax shall be abolished.
(f) The tax reductions specified in subsections (a) through
(e) of this section may not go into effect unless revenue
estimates for the years designated show a projected revenue
increase equal to, or more than, the loss of revenue which would
occur when the reductions would go into effect.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to phase out the taxes
imposed on health care providers over three years, beginning on
July 1, 1999 and to abolish the taxes beginning 2002.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.