wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > HB 2183 > Substitute Bill

HB 2183 - Heat response plans

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Section 1

  1. By July 1, 2027, each county legislative authority of a county planning under this chapter must create and adopt an extreme heat response plan. Plans must be developed in cooperation with the local health jurisdiction, county emergency management department, and other local governments within the county.

  2. Each extreme heat response plan must, at a minimum:

    1. Include planning for both immediate response during an extreme heat event and for long-term adaptation strategies to mitigate extreme heat events in the future, including particular emphasis on making investments to avoid a brownout or blackout of electricity during an extreme heat event, and ensure that such planning includes adequate cooling strategies beyond the use of cooling centers;

    2. Include planning for mitigating harms to, and prioritizing the protection of, high-risk populations including, but not limited to, those 65 years of age or older, outdoor workers, medically vulnerable individuals, pregnant individuals, children under six years of age, and households making 80 percent or less of the area median income. When addressing considerations for outdoor workers, counties must refer to heat exposure safety and health rules adopted by the Washington state department of labor and industries;

    3. Identify any actions necessary to establish partnerships with federally recognized Indian tribes and urban Indian health organizations within the county in planning and responding to extreme heat events;

    4. Implement outreach programs to educate county residents about extreme heat risks and mitigation measures;

    5. Implement community engagement strategies for early warning systems and public messaging before heat events;

    6. Recommend adaptation strategies for buildings, including plans for incentives for heat pumps, portable cooling units, and passive heat mitigation, as well as recommendations for private individual adaptations;

    7. Develop protocols for heat-related medical emergencies, including crisis management of care in coordination with health care providers and emergency responders;

    8. Ensure that the county acknowledges the limitations of cooling centers and has adequate cooling strategies beyond such centers; and

      1. Implement measures to collect data on and to monitor heat-related illnesses, mortality, and the effectiveness of interventions to prevent illness and mortality.

  3. Counties that have, prior to the effective date of this section, adopted extreme heat response plans that substantially comply with the requirements of this section are not subject to the adoption deadline in subsection (1) of this section.

  4. After adoption of an extreme heat response plan, each county must review and, if necessary, revise its heat response plan at the time of its comprehensive plan update required under RCW 36.70A.130.

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