The 2024 Growth Management Act (GMA) update cycle is rapidly approaching as jurisdictions begin their efforts two years before the deadline. The Legislature took aim (at what is perhaps their last attempt) to integrate new planning responsibilities into
the GMA in time for local governments to incorporate them in an orderly fashion. This urgency led to increased attention and effort on HB 1099 and HB 1117, integrating climate change and salmon recovery into the GMA, respectively.
Despite the support of cities and counties for HB 1117, and from cities for HB 1099, neither proposal made it to the finish line. Particularly disappointing was the failure of HB 1099 to advance on the
final day of session, as the House ran of out of time to pass the agreed-upon bill before sine die. Even though the policy had been largely agreed to and planning funding was appropriated, the failure of the House to act on this bill left
all that progress on the cutting room floor. This disappointment was punctuated by the loss of a newly proposed provision that provided an innovative incentive for cities that wanted to pursue middle housing policies as a climate response.
We appreciate the recent recognition that these sorts of policies need to be funded to be successful and are hopeful progress on this front can be maintained in future sessions. However, the future is murky as advocates and cities consider whether it
is still feasible to have these new requirements apply in the most urban areas of the state—jurisdictions that are updating their comprehensive plans beginning in 2024.
As those two bills wound through the process, a package of smaller GMA tweaks was developed and advanced at the same time: extending the update timelines, facilitating tribal engagement, updating authorities for counties in limited areas of more intensive
development, and clarifying the process for moving land in and out of urban growth areas. All of these passed the Legislature.
Bill # | Description | Status |
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HB 1241 | Comprehensive planning timelines and progress under GMA. | Law; effective June 9, 2022. |
HB 1717 | Tribal participation in planning under GMA. | Law; effective June 9, 2022. |
HB 1753 | Tribal consultation and funding under Climate Commitment Act. | Law; effective June 9, 2022. |
SB 5042 | Effective date of certain actions taken under GMA. | Law; effective June 9, 2022. |
SB 5275 | Reforming limited areas of rural development (LAMRID). | Law; effective June 9, 2022. |
SB 5593 | Urban Growth Area land swap. | Law; effective June 9, 2022. |
SB 5818 | SEPA appeal protections and expanded exemptions for certain housing-related actions. | Law; effective June 9, 2022. |
HB 1099 | Integrating climate into GMA planning. | Did not pass. |
HB 1117 | Integrating salmon recovery into GMA planning. | Did not pass. |
HB 1232 | Planning for affordable housing under the GMA. | Did not pass. |
HB 1978 | Shoreline Master Program review timelines. | Did not pass. |
HB 1981 | GMA planning omnibus bill. | Did not pass. |
SB 5626 | Adding a climate resilience element to water system plans. | Did not pass. |
SB 5885 | Unpermitted shoreline development imaging. | Did not pass. |
SB 5964 | Consolidating local permit review processes. | Did not pass. |