Concerning county property tax levies for public health clinic purposes.

Washington State bill SB 5709 allows counties to levy an additional property tax of up to 5 cents per $1,000 of assessed value annually, specifically for public health clinics. This tax can only fund clinic operations, maintenance, and capital expenses, and is exempt from certain existing property tax limits in state law. The bill defines "public health clinic" broadly to include services like primary care, dental, reproductive health, disease prevention, and behavioral health. It directly affects Washington counties (which may choose to adopt this tax) and public health clinics (which would receive dedicated funding). The bill amends existing tax code sections to explicitly include public health clinic funding as an exception to general tax levy restrictions.