wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > HB 1302 > Original Bill
The legislature finds that climate change and environmental degradation poses a significant and increasing threat to human health in Washington. This threat cannot be combatted through reductions in greenhouse gas and other harmful emissions alone. Instead, reductions must be combined with technological innovations in clean energy, resource efficiency, and other environmentally friendly practices.
The legislature finds that industrial symbiosis is one such innovation and practice. Industrial symbiosis is characterized by the beneficial utilization of waste products that may otherwise have deleterious environmental effects. Industrial symbiosis reduces waste, increases efficiency, promotes resiliency, and creates the conditions for further innovation.
The legislature believes that by allowing local governments that operate their own utilities to waive connection charges for organizations practicing industrial symbiosis, Washington can encourage the development and utilization of this sustainable technology, and that such utilization is important both environmentally and economically.
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Municipal utilities formed under this chapter may waive connection charges for properties owned or developed by, or on the behalf of, a nonprofit organization, public development authority, housing authority, or local agency that provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, or affordable housing, including a limited partnership as described in RCW 84.36.560(7)(f)(ii) and a limited liability company as described in RCW 84.36.560(7)(f)(iii).
Municipal utilities formed under this chapter may waive connection charges for properties owned or developed by public or private organizations that utilize the property for industrial symbiosis.
Connection charges waived under this chapter shall be funded using general funds, grant dollars, or other identified revenue stream.
At such time as a property receiving a waiver under subsection (1) of this section is no longer operating under the eligibility requirements under subsection (1) of this section:
The waiver of connection charges required under subsection (1) of this section is no longer required; and
Any connection charges waived under subsection (1) of this section are immediately due and payable to the utility as a condition of continued service.
For the purposes of this section:
"Affordable housing" has the same meaning as in RCW 36.70A.030.
"Connection charges" means the one-time capital and administrative charges, as authorized in RCW 35.92.025, that are imposed by a utility on a building or facility owner for a new utility service and costs borne or assessed by a utility for the labor, materials, and services necessary to physically connect a designated facility to the respective utility service.
"Emergency shelter" means any facility that has, as its sole purpose, the provision of a temporary shelter for the homeless and that does not require occupants to sign a lease or occupancy agreement.
"Industrial symbiosis" means the utilization of industrial waste or other waste products for productive use in an environmentally sustainable manner. For such a use to be environmentally sustainable, it must both reduce the amount of resources that would otherwise have been consumed and the amount of greenhouse gases that would otherwise have been emitted to accomplish the same purpose.
"Permanent supportive housing" has the same meaning as in RCW 36.70A.030.
"Transitional housing" has the same meaning as in RCW 84.36.043.
Whenever a city or town waives or delays collection of tap-in charges, connection fees, or hookup fees for low-income persons, a class of low-income persons, or a nonprofit organization, public development authority, housing authority, or local agency that provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, or affordable housing as defined in RCW 35.92.385, or an organization utilizing the property for industrial symbiosis as defined in RCW 35.92.385 to connect to lines or pipes used by the city or town to provide utility service, the waiver or delay shall be pursuant to a program established by ordinance. As used in this section, the provision of "utility service" includes, but is not limited to, water, sanitary or storm sewer service, electricity, gas, other means of power, and heat.