H-1377.1
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1491
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By House Housing (originally sponsored by Representatives Reed, Richards, Berry, Duerr, Cortes, Doglio, Ryu, Fitzgibbon, Alvarado, Davis, Ramel, Parshley, Mena, Peterson, Nance, Macri, Fosse, Kloba, Ormsby, Scott, Pollet, Hill, Obras, and Simmons)
READ FIRST TIME 02/17/25.
AN ACT Relating to promoting community and transit-oriented housing development; amending RCW 36.70A.030 , 43.21C.229 , 84.14.010 , 84.14.020 , 84.14.030 , 84.14.060 , 84.14.090 , 84.14.100 , and 84.14.110 ; adding new sections to chapter 36.70A RCW; adding a new section to chapter 64.38 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 64.90 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 64.34 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 64.32 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 84.14 RCW; creating a new section; and providing expiration dates.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the state has made groundbreaking investments in state-of-the-art mass transit and intermodal infrastructure. The legislature finds that to maximize the state's return on these investments, land use policies and practices must allow housing development to keep pace with progress being implemented in transportation infrastructure development. The legislature also intends new development to reflect the state's commitment to affordable housing and vibrant, walkable, accessible urban environments that improve health, expand multimodal transportation options, and include varied community facilities, parks, and green spaces that are open to people of all income levels.
The legislature recognizes that cities planning under chapter 36.70A RCW require direction and technical assistance to ensure the benefits of state transportation investments are maximized and shared equitably while avoiding unnecessary programmatic and cost burdens to local governments in their comprehensive planning, code enactment, and permit processing workloads. The legislature further recognizes that regulatory flexibility and local control are also important features of optimal planning outcomes.