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               ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2506

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State of Washington      57th Legislature     2002 Regular Session

By House Committee on Agriculture & Ecology (originally sponsored by Representatives Romero, Linville, Fisher, Jarrett, Cody, Dickerson, Veloria, Barlean, Simpson, Rockefeller, Dunshee, Hunt, Cairnes, Schmidt, Edwards, Upthegrove, Miloscia, Anderson and Wood)

Read first time 02/08/2002.  Referred to Committee on .

Creating a joint task force on green building.

    AN ACT Relating to the joint task force on green building; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that citizens in many communities desire homes that, in addition to being well-built and affordable, are also environmentally "friendly."  In addition to the public demand for low-impact development and its environmental benefits, the legislature also finds that low-impact developments have significant potential to reduce the costs of storm water management, energy generation, road construction, and other local infrastructure costs for our communities.  The legislature further finds that a number of new programs have been developed over the past few years, both within the state and across the country, to promote and provide for low-impact development.

    The legislature therefore finds that there is a need to evaluate local and national low-impact development programs to identify how the state government can play a positive role in facilitating local efforts to meet public demand for more livable communities and to reduce the environmental and social costs of our current development practices.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  (1) The joint task force on green building is created, to consist of the following ten members:

    (a) Two members of the house of representatives, one from the majority caucus and one from the minority caucus, to be appointed by the speaker of the house;

    (b) Two members of the senate, one member from the majority caucus and one from the minority caucus, to be appointed by the senate majority leader;

    (c) One member from the office of community development of the department of community, trade, and economic development, appointed by the director of the department of community, trade, and economic development; and

    (d) One member representing each of the following interests, selected by the associations representing those interests:  The residential building industry, the commercial building industry, cities, counties, and environmental organizations.

    (2) Legislative members of the task force shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 44.04.120.  The staff of senate committee services and the office of program research of the house of representatives shall provide support to the task force.

    (3) The chair may appoint experts and advisors as nonvoting members of the task force to provide information on various subjects.  The task force shall establish rules of procedure at its first meeting.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  The joint task force on green building shall:

    (1) Complete a thorough study of cities and counties that offer a form of green building and low-impact development codes to:

    (a) Determine components of the different programs that are effective and what is ineffective;

    (b) Determine incentives and disincentives to implementing a green building program;

    (c) Study existing green building standards or programs, such as Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED), Build a Better Kitsap, Build a Better Clark County, the National Institute of Standards and Technology Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES), the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program (EPP), and the National Institute of Building Sciences Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG); and

    (d) Identify the potential for low-impact development to reduce costs of storm water management, road building, and other infrastructure needs; and

    (2) Commence the study within thirty days of adjournment sine die of the 2002 regular session, and present a final report of its findings and any recommendations to the legislature by January 1, 2003.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  This act expires March 30, 2003.

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