wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > SB 5732 > Original Bill
The legislature finds that Washington continues to struggle with a housing availability crisis. In 2023, the department of commerce estimated that Washington will need more than a million new homes over the next 20 years to keep pace with expected population growth. Other analyses, such as the William D. Ruckelshaus Center's "Pathways to Housing Security" final report, recommend that Washington should improve coordination in the various sectors of the housing system to carry out long-term strategies that will confront the daunting housing challenge.
The legislature further finds that the growth management act provides for enforceable accountability measures, growth management hearings board review, and other sanctions that may be used to ensure the goals of the act are accomplished. By adapting these accountability mechanisms to include a greater emphasis on housing supply, the legislature concludes that the growth management act can become a better tool for encouraging counties and cities to plan for more housing to be built.
The legislature therefore determines that the following specific policies will increase the likelihood that Washington will make progress toward meeting the housing goals of the growth management act and enhance the ability of Washington residents of all income levels to secure housing that meets their needs:
Direct counties to foster land use patterns that will provide an abundant supply of housing in rural areas;
Specify that the housing and permit goals of the growth management act require closing the housing availability gap while continuously tracking progress toward increasing housing supply, including by monitoring and tracking permit applications to ensure that the housing goal is being measured and will be achieved;
Clarify that counties and cities planning under the growth management act must ensure that their comprehensive plans and development regulations provide sufficient land to accommodate new housing developments;
Require countywide planning policies to monitor and track progress toward permitting new housing to address housing crises at a regional level; and
Provide for sanctions when a county or city fails to track or make progress on increasing housing supply pursuant to the housing goal of the growth management act.
The legislature finds that this chapter is intended to recognize the importance of rural lands and rural character to Washington's economy, its people, and its environment, while respecting regional differences. Rural lands and rural‑based economies enhance the economic desirability of the state, help to preserve traditional economic activities, and contribute to the state's overall quality of life.
The legislature finds that to retain and enhance the job base in rural areas, rural counties must have flexibility to create opportunities for business development and housing. Further, the legislature finds that rural counties must have the flexibility to retain existing businesses and allow them to expand. The legislature recognizes that not all business developments in rural counties require an urban level of services; and that many businesses in rural areas fit within the definition of rural character identified by the local planning unit.
Finally, the legislature finds that in defining its rural element under RCW 36.70A.070(5), a county should foster land use patterns and develop a local vision of rural character that will: Help preserve rural‑based economies and traditional rural lifestyles; encourage the economic prosperity of rural residents; foster opportunities for small-scale, rural-based employment and self‑employment; permit the operation of rural-based agricultural, commercial, recreational, and tourist businesses that are consistent with existing and planned land use patterns; be compatible with the use of the land by wildlife and for fish and wildlife habitat; foster the private stewardship of the land and preservation of open space; provide an abundant supply of housing for residents of rural areas; and enhance the rural sense of community and quality of life.
The following goals are adopted to guide the development and adoption of comprehensive plans and development regulations of those counties and cities that are required or choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 and, where specified, also guide the development of regional policies, plans, and strategies adopted under RCW 36.70A.210 and chapter 47.80 RCW. The following goals are not listed in order of priority and shall be used exclusively for the purpose of guiding the development of comprehensive plans, development regulations, and, where specified, regional plans, policies, and strategies:
Urban growth. Encourage development in urban areas where adequate public facilities and services exist or can be provided in an efficient manner.
Reduce sprawl. Reduce the inappropriate conversion of undeveloped land into sprawling, low-density development.
Transportation. Encourage efficient multimodal transportation systems that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and per capita vehicle miles traveled, and are based on regional priorities and coordinated with county and city comprehensive plans.
Housing. Plan for and accommodate housing affordable to all economic segments of the population of this state, promote a variety of residential densities and housing types, close the housing availability gap while continuously tracking progress toward increasing housing supply, and encourage preservation of existing housing stock.
Economic development. Encourage economic development throughout the state that is consistent with adopted comprehensive plans, promote economic opportunity for all citizens of this state, especially for unemployed and for disadvantaged persons, promote the retention and expansion of existing businesses and recruitment of new businesses, recognize regional differences impacting economic development opportunities, and encourage growth in areas experiencing insufficient economic growth, all within the capacities of the state's natural resources, public services, and public facilities.
Property rights. Private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation having been made. The property rights of landowners shall be protected from arbitrary and discriminatory actions.
Permits. Applications for both state and local government permits should be processed in a timely and fair manner to ensure predictability. Applications must be monitored and tracked to demonstrate measurable progress toward accomplishing the housing goals of this section.
Natural resource industries. Maintain and enhance natural resource-based industries, including productive timber, agricultural, and fisheries industries. Encourage the conservation of productive forestlands and productive agricultural lands, and discourage incompatible uses.
Open space and recreation. Retain open space and green space, enhance recreational opportunities, enhance fish and wildlife habitat, increase access to natural resource lands and water, and develop parks and recreation facilities.
Environment. Protect and enhance the environment and enhance the state's high quality of life, including air and water quality, and the availability of water.
Citizen participation and coordination. Encourage the involvement of citizens in the planning process, including the participation of vulnerable populations and overburdened communities, and ensure coordination between communities and jurisdictions to reconcile conflicts.
Public facilities and services. Ensure that those public facilities and services necessary to support development shall be adequate to serve the development at the time the development is available for occupancy and use without decreasing current service levels below locally established minimum standards.
Historic preservation. Identify and encourage the preservation of lands, sites, and structures, that have historical or archaeological significance.
Climate change and resiliency. Ensure that comprehensive plans, development regulations, and regional policies, plans, and strategies under RCW 36.70A.210 and chapter 47.80 RCW adapt to and mitigate the effects of a changing climate; support reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and per capita vehicle miles traveled; prepare for climate impact scenarios; foster resiliency to climate impacts and natural hazards; protect and enhance environmental, economic, and human health and safety; and advance environmental justice.
Shorelines of the state. For shorelines of the state, the goals and policies of the shoreline management act as set forth in RCW 90.58.020 shall be considered an element of the county's or city's comprehensive plan.
Counties and cities that are required or choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 shall ensure that, taken collectively, adoption of and amendments to their comprehensive plans and/or development regulations provide sufficient capacity of land suitable for development within their jurisdictions to accommodate their allocated housing and employment growth, including the accommodation of, as appropriate, new housing developments and the medical, governmental, educational, institutional, commercial, and industrial facilities related to such growth, as adopted in the applicable countywide planning policies and consistent with the twenty-year population forecast from the office of financial management.
This analysis shall include the reasonable measures findings developed under RCW 36.70A.215, if applicable to such counties and cities.
The legislature recognizes that counties are regional governments within their boundaries, and cities are primary providers of urban governmental services within urban growth areas. For the purposes of this section, a "countywide planning policy" is a written policy statement or statements used solely for establishing a countywide framework from which county and city comprehensive plans are developed and adopted pursuant to this chapter. This framework shall ensure that city and county comprehensive plans are consistent as required in RCW 36.70A.100. Nothing in this section shall be construed to alter the land-use powers of cities.
The legislative authority of a county that plans under RCW 36.70A.040 shall adopt a countywide planning policy in cooperation with the cities located in whole or in part within the county as follows:
No later than sixty calendar days from July 16, 1991, the legislative authority of each county that as of June 1, 1991, was required or chose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 shall convene a meeting with representatives of each city located within the county for the purpose of establishing a collaborative process that will provide a framework for the adoption of a countywide planning policy. In other counties that are required or choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040, this meeting shall be convened no later than sixty days after the date the county adopts its resolution of intention or was certified by the office of financial management.
The process and framework for adoption of a countywide planning policy specified in (a) of this subsection shall determine the manner in which the county and the cities agree to all procedures and provisions including but not limited to desired planning policies, deadlines, ratification of final agreements and demonstration thereof, and financing, if any, of all activities associated therewith.
If a county fails for any reason to convene a meeting with representatives of cities as required in (a) of this subsection, the governor may immediately impose any appropriate sanction or sanctions on the county from those specified under RCW 36.70A.340.
If there is no agreement by October 1, 1991, in a county that was required or chose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 as of June 1, 1991, or if there is no agreement within one hundred twenty days of the date the county adopted its resolution of intention or was certified by the office of financial management in any other county that is required or chooses to plan under RCW 36.70A.040, the governor shall first inquire of the jurisdictions as to the reason or reasons for failure to reach an agreement. If the governor deems it appropriate, the governor may immediately request the assistance of the department of commerce to mediate any disputes that preclude agreement. If mediation is unsuccessful in resolving all disputes that will lead to agreement, the governor may impose appropriate sanctions from those specified under RCW 36.70A.340 on the county, city, or cities for failure to reach an agreement as provided in this section. The governor shall specify the reason or reasons for the imposition of any sanction.
No later than July 1, 1992, the legislative authority of each county that was required or chose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 as of June 1, 1991, or no later than fourteen months after the date the county adopted its resolution of intention or was certified by the office of financial management the county legislative authority of any other county that is required or chooses to plan under RCW 36.70A.040, shall adopt a countywide planning policy according to the process provided under this section and that is consistent with the agreement pursuant to (b) of this subsection, and after holding a public hearing or hearings on the proposed countywide planning policy.
A countywide planning policy shall at a minimum, address the following:
Policies to implement RCW 36.70A.110;
Policies for promotion of contiguous and orderly development and provision of urban services to such development;
Policies for siting public capital facilities of a countywide or statewide nature, including transportation facilities of statewide significance as defined in RCW 47.06.140;
Policies for countywide transportation facilities and strategies;
Policies that consider the need for affordable housing, such as housing for all economic segments of the population and parameters for its distribution;
Policies for joint county and city planning within urban growth areas;
Policies for countywide economic development and employment, which must include consideration of the future development of commercial and industrial facilities;
An analysis of the fiscal impact;
Policies to monitor and track progress toward permitting new housing to address regional housing supply crises.
Federal agencies and federally recognized Indian tribes whose reservation or ceded lands lie within the county shall be invited to participate in and cooperate with the countywide planning policy adoption process. Adopted countywide planning policies shall be adhered to by state agencies.
Failure to adopt a countywide planning policy that meets the requirements of this section may result in the imposition of a sanction or sanctions on a county or city within the county, as specified in RCW 36.70A.340. In imposing a sanction or sanctions, the governor shall specify the reasons for failure to adopt a countywide planning policy in order that any imposed sanction or sanctions are fairly and equitably related to the failure to adopt a countywide planning policy.
Cities and the governor may appeal an adopted countywide planning policy to the growth management hearings board within sixty days of the adoption of the countywide planning policy.
Multicounty planning policies shall be adopted by two or more counties, each with a population of four hundred fifty thousand or more, with contiguous urban areas and may be adopted by other counties, according to the process established under this section or other processes agreed to among the counties and cities within the affected counties throughout the multicounty region.
The governor may impose a sanction or sanctions specified under RCW 36.70A.340 on: (1) A county or city that fails to designate critical areas, agricultural lands, forestlands, or mineral resource lands under RCW 36.70A.170 by the date such action was required to have been taken; (2) a county or city that fails to adopt development regulations under RCW 36.70A.060 protecting critical areas or conserving agricultural lands, forestlands, or mineral resource lands by the date such action was required to have been taken; (3) a county that fails to designate urban growth areas under RCW 36.70A.110 by the date such action was required to have been taken; (4) a county or city that fails to track and make progress on increasing housing supply pursuant to the goals set forth in RCW 36.70A.020; and (5) a county or city that fails to adopt its comprehensive plan or development regulations when such actions are required to be taken.
Imposition of a sanction or sanctions under this section shall be preceded by written findings by the governor, that either the county or city is not proceeding in good faith to meet the requirements of this chapter; or that the county or city has unreasonably delayed taking the required action. The governor shall consult with and communicate his or her findings to the growth management hearings board prior to imposing the sanction or sanctions. For those counties or cities that are not required to plan or have not opted in, the governor in imposing sanctions shall consider the size of the jurisdiction relative to the requirements of this chapter and the degree of technical and financial assistance provided.