One of the four pillars of AWC’s Housing Solutions Group’s legislative package is regulatory streamlining. Three streamlining proposals from House representatives have hearings this week, but only one is aligned with our proposal.

HB 1293, sponsored by Rep. Mark Klicker (R–Walla Walla), supports two aspects of AWC’s housing policy proposal. The first is to exempt all residential development from SEPA if the development intensity is consistent what is planned for in the comprehensive plan and the plan went through environmental impact analysis. The bill also includes provision to eliminate external design review boards, allowing only administrative review of design standards.

There is one concerning amendment in section 3 that reads as though cities must have express authority from the state to regulate land use. Unlike Dillon’s Rule states, where cities must prove they have specific permission to act, cities in home rule states have broad authority to act unless a state law prohibits the action. Washington is a home rule state.

HB 1449, sponsored by Rep. Emily Alvarado (D–Seattle), amends reporting requirements for the project permit application processing timeline. It removes building permits from definition of "project permit" in RCW 36.70B.020 and adds annual reporting requirements for each instance where the city took longer than the city's own timeline to process a permit. The bill also directs the Department of Commerce to create a website to report out compliance. Finally, cities are ineligible for Growth Management Act planning and environmental grants if not in compliance with reporting.

This bill is trying to address the lack of compliance with existing permit timeline reporting. Given that cities would be held to the timelines they create, this appears to be a reasonable approach on permit timeline reporting. Please share your any concerns with Carl and Shannon.

HB 1611, sponsored by Rep. Julia Reed (D–Seattle), is a prescriptive approach. By March 2024, each planning city with a population of 20,000 or more, and by March 2025 for those under that threshold must implement the permit processing requirements of section 5 dealing with application completeness (14 days) and residential use permit processing timelines, which are based on dwelling unit numbers. There are many issues with this approach but, just practically, the bill doesn’t account for the fact that many cities have online permitting systems now and requires cities to mail or deliver a notice of completeness in person. Your feedback on this bill is appreciated.

Dates to remember

HB 1293 will be heard in the House Housing Committee on Monday, January 30 at 1:30 pm and is schedule for a vote in the same committee on Thursday, February 2 at 8 am.

HB 1449 will be heard in the House Local Government Committee on Tuesday, January 31 at 10:30 am and is scheduled for a vote in the same committee on Friday, February 3 at 10:30 am.

HB 1611 will be heard in the House Housing Committee on Monday, January 30 at 1:30 pm.