S-0494.2  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5668

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Senators Prentice, Deccio, Sellar, Newhouse, Hale, Anderson and Winsley

Read first time 02/06/97.  Referred to Committee on Financial Institutions, Insurance & Housing.

Allowing the department of health to adopt a temporary worker housing code.

    AN ACT Relating to temporary worker building codes; amending RCW 70.114A.080; and adding a new section to chapter 19.27 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 19.27 RCW to read as follows:

    Temporary worker housing shall be constructed, altered, or repaired as provided in chapter 70.114A RCW.  The construction, alteration, or repair of temporary worker housing is not subject to the codes adopted under RCW 19.27.031, except as provided in any code adopted under chapter 70.114A RCW.  For the purposes of this section "temporary worker housing" means a shelter, place, area, or piece of land where sleeping places or housing sites are provided by an employer for his or her employees for temporary seasonal occupancy at the employees' work site, and includes labor camps under RCW 70.54.110.

    Sec. 2.  RCW 70.114A.080 and 1995 c 220 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

    ((By December 1, 1996,)) The ((state building code council))  department shall ((develop)) adopt by rule under chapter 34.05 RCW a temporary worker ((housing)) building code, in conformance with the temporary worker housing standards developed under the Washington industrial safety and health act, chapter 49.17 RCW, the rules adopted by the state board of health under RCW 70.54.110, and the following guidelines:

    (1) The code shall provide construction standards for shelter and associated facilities that are safe, secure, and capable of withstanding the stresses and loads associated with their designated use, and to which they are likely to be subjected by the elements.

    (2) The code shall permit and facilitate designs and formats that allow for maximum affordability, consistent with the provision of decent, safe, and sanitary housing.

    (3) In developing the code the ((council)) department shall consider:  (a) The need for dormitory type housing for groups of unrelated individuals; and (b) the need for housing to accommodate families.

    (4) The code shall include construction standards for a variety of formats, including, but not limited to:  (a) Tents and tent platforms; and (b) hard-shell, single exterior wall structures.

    (5) The code shall include standards for temporary worker housing that is to be used only during periods when no auxiliary heat is required.

    In ((developing)) adopting the temporary worker ((housing)) building code, it is the intent of the legislature that the ((building code council)) department make exceptions to the codes listed in RCW 19.27.031, and chapter 19.27A RCW, in keeping with the guidelines set forth in this section.

    ((The building code council shall appoint a technical advisory committee to assist in the development of the temporary worker housing code, which shall include representatives of industries that most frequently supply temporary housing to their employees.)) It is also the intent of the legislature that the initial temporary worker building code adopted by the department be substantially equivalent to the temporary worker building code developed by the state building code council as directed by section 8, chapter 220, Laws of 1995, and presented to the legislature on December 1, 1996.

The temporary worker building code authorized and required by this section shall be enforced by the department.

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