HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1566

BYRepresentatives Todd, Sayan, Nutley, Leonard, Crane and Walk

Providing for the enforcement of mobile home installation and warranty service standards by counties and cities.

House Committe on Housing

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (8)

      Signed by Representatives Nutley, Chair; Leonard, Vice Chair; Armstrong, Barnes, Sanders, Todd, J. Williams and Wineberry.

House Staff:Charlie Gavigan (786-7340)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON HOUSING FEBRUARY 4, 1988

BACKGROUND:

Uniform codes relating to buildings, construction, and administration are published nationally.  States and local governments may use these codes as models for their own legislation.  These codes apply primarily to site-built structures.

The state of Washington enacted the State Building Code in 1985, incorporating several national codes, including the Uniform Building Code, the Uniform Fire Code, and the Uniform Plumbing Code.  These codes are administered by the State Building Code Council and enforced by the state and local government.  A permit system is a part of the enforcement process, as is mandatory inspections.  Electrical permits are issued and inspected by the state Department of Labor and Industries, while other permits, such as building permits, plumbing permits, and water permits are issued and inspected by the local government.

Mobile homes or manufactured homes are built in factories. The construction of these homes has been regulated by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development since 1976.  Mobile homes are built with wheel chassis and are moved to a site on the public highways.  Once at the site, the wheels, hitch, and axles are often removed to make the home more permanent.

The state is preempted from regulating the standards and construction of the mobile home itself.  The state may regulate the preparation of the site and the installation of the mobile home on the site.  Federal law requires that the state incorporate manufacturing guidelines into its installation standards.

The Department of Labor and Industries (the department) is required by statute to enact standards for the installation of mobile homes on sites.  The department has the statutory authority, at its discretion, to provide for the enforcement and the inspection of these installation standards.  By rule the department will not do the inspections, although local government may do the inspections if they request the authority from the department.  As a result, some counties do not inspect the installation of mobile homes on sites.

SUMMARY:

SUBSTITUTE BILL:  Local governments are required to enforce the standards for installation of mobile homes enacted by the Department of Labor and Industries the same way local governments are required to enforce the State Building Code.  These standards for the installation of mobile homes must be uniform. 

The director of Labor and Industries must establish procedures for resolving disputes on the installation requirements.  The director of Labor and Industries must also work with local government to resolve the issue of electrical inspections being done at sites where a building permit has not been issued by local government.

SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL:  Provisions are added that require the director of Labor and Industries to establish procedures for resolving disputes on the installation requirements and to work with local government to resolve theelectrical inspection issue.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Jim Williams, Association of Washington Counties; Ron Clarke, Washington Manufactured Housing Association; John Jenson, Mobile Home Owners of America; and Doug Baker, Association of Washington Cities.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    Many counties do not issue building permits on the preparation of sites for mobile homes.  Many counties do not inspect the installation of the mobile home.  Local government should insure mobile homes are installed properly on a site, just as local government now makes sure site built homes are constructed properly before allowing occupancy.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.