The Military Department (Department), under the direction of the state's Adjutant General, is responsible for administering a comprehensive, all-hazard emergency management program for the state. Each political subdivision of the state must establish or jointly create a local organization for carrying out emergency management functions in accordance with the Washington State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.
The State Building Code Council (Council) is a state agency responsible for the adoption of the State Building Code (Code). The Code establishes minimum performance standards and requirements for construction and construction materials in the state consistent with accepted standards of engineering, fire, and life safety.
The concept of functional recovery generally relates to the ability of buildings and infrastructure systems to quickly return to function or service directly following an earthquake.
The Department must conduct a study regarding statewide building code and construction standards pertaining to earthquake and tsunami resilience as well as recommendations for functional recovery of buildings and critical infrastructure directly following an earthquake.
The study must include an assessment of the following:
In conducting the study, the Department must request input from the Council and representatives of appropriate public and private sector entities.
The Department must submit a preliminary report on the outcomes of the completed study to the appropriate committees of the Legislature by December 1, 2025, and a final report must be submitted by May 1, 2026.
(In support) Washington is particularly prone to earthquakes, which could cause significant damage and disruption. When a major earthquake occurs, it is important to have places that are usable for the recovery process. Most buildings are not designed to sustain strong shaking events. It will be helpful to know what it would look like to have recovery standards for public buildings and other structures. If buildings are constructed to support functional recovery, it will speed the general recovery process.
(Opposed) None.
(Other) Washington has the second highest earthquake risk in the country. Washington will face crippling damage if a serious earthquake occurs, and buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure will be rendered unusable. With a few exceptions, buildings are generally designed to preserve the lives of people, but that does not mean they could actually be used in the wake of an earthquake. Developing functional recovery standards would be a leap forward in building resilience. Oregon has done some work on functional recovery of school buildings, and they found that the associated costs were not significantly greater. This bill will allow the Department to assess work that has been done on functional recovery standards and make recommendations.
(In support) Representative Brandy Donaghy, prime sponsor; and Corina Allen, Department of Natural Resources.
A null and void clause is added, making the bill null and void unless funded in the budget.
(In support) None.
(Opposed) None.
(Other) Buildings are currently designed to save the lives of individuals during a natural disaster such as an earthquake. However, they are not built to be used or inhabited after an earthquake damages their structural integrity. Using a functional recovery standard when building structures would allow for buildings to quickly be put back to their intended use after an earthquake or similar event. This would increase resilience in Washington. This would be especially beneficial for facilities such as schools or overpasses, or structures used by first responders, which could then be used quickly as part of recovering from the disaster.
Robert Ezelle, Washington Military Department, Emergency Management Division.