Sales and use taxes: exemptions: property for use in space flight.

Existing sales and use tax laws impose a tax on retailers measured by the 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. The Sales and Use Tax Law provides various exemptions from those taxes, including an exemption for the gross receipts from the sale of, and the storage, use, or other consumption of, qualified property for use in space flight. This bill would, until January 1, 2024, expand this exemption to also include equipment and materials used to construct, reconstruct, or improve new or existing facilities designed to launch, manufacture, fabricate, assemble, or process equipment that facilitates the renovation, rehabilitation, or reconstruction of commercial space launch sites. This bill would require the Legislative Analyst's Office, by January 1, 2023, with information provided by the State Board of Equalization, to report to the Legislature on the effect of the exemption on employment and investment in the commercial space flight industry, using data, including, but not limited to, that produced by the Employment Development Department Labor Market Information Division. The Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law authorizes counties and cities to impose local sales and use taxes in conformity with the Sales and Use Tax Law, and existing law authorizes districts, as specified, to impose transactions and use taxes in accordance with the Transactions and Use Tax Law, which conforms to the Sales and Use Tax Law. Amendments to state sales and use taxes are incorporated into these laws. Section 2230 of the Revenue and Taxation Code provides that the state will reimburse counties and cities for revenue losses caused by the enactment of sales and use tax exemptions. This bill would provide that, notwithstanding Section 2230 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, no appropriation is made and the state shall not reimburse any local agencies for sales and use tax revenues lost by them pursuant to this bill. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy, but its operative date would depend on its effective date.