(1) A cemetery district organized under this chapter shall have power to acquire, establish, maintain, manage, improve and operate cemeteries and conduct any and all of the businesses of a cemetery as defined in this title. A cemetery district shall constitute a cemetery authority as defined in this title and shall have and exercise all powers conferred thereby upon a cemetery authority and be subject to the provisions thereof.

     (2) A cemetery district may include within its boundaries the lands embraced within the corporate limits of any incorporated city or town and in any such cases the district may acquire any cemetery or cemeteries theretofore maintained and operated by any such city or town and proceed to maintain, manage, improve and operate the same under the provisions hereof. In such event the governing body of the city or town, after the transfer takes place, shall levy no cemetery tax. The power of eminent domain heretofore conferred shall not extend to the condemnation of existing cemeteries within the district: PROVIDED, That no cemetery district shall operate a cemetery within the corporate limits of any city or town where there is a private cemetery operated for profit.

[2006 c 335 § 1; 1994 c 81 § 82; 1971 c 19 § 2; 1959 c 23 § 2; 1957 c 39 § 1; 1947 c 6 § 13; Rem. Supp. 1947 § 3778-162. Formerly RCW 68.16.130.]