FINAL BILL REPORT

ESSB 6450

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Parks (originally sponsored by Senators Pedersen, Kohl-Welles, Pearson, Liias, Ericksen and Kline).

Background: The Shoreline Management Act (SMA) requires the development of local shoreline master programs, which must be consistent with guidelines adopted by the Department of Ecology. Each local government must establish a program for the administration and enforcement of a shoreline permit system.

The SMA provides that all permitted or legally established floating homes as of January 1, 2011, must be considered as a conforming preferred use under local shoreline regulations. This means that local regulations may only impose reasonable conditions and mitigation that will not effectively preclude actions such as maintenance, repair, replacement, and remodeling of floating homes.

Summary: A floating on-water residence that was legally established before July 1, 2014, must be accommodated through reasonable local shoreline regulations, permit conditions, or mitigation. The local regulations may not effectively preclude actions such as maintenance, repair, replacement, and remodeling of floating on-water residences.

The term floating on-water residence means any floating structure, other than a floating home, that:

is designed or used primarily as a residence on the water and has detachable utilities; and
whose owner or primary occupant has held a lease or sublease to use space in a marina, or has held an ownership interest in space in a marina, since before July 1, 2014.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate	49	0
House	88	10