On page 23, after line 2, insert the following:
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NEW SECTION. Sec. 19. A new section is added to chapter
19.27A RCW to read as follows:
(1) The building owner of a covered commercial building that is located in a rural county is exempt from the requirements of section 3 of this act.
(2) A qualifying utility that is located in a rural county is exempt from the requirements of section 6 of this act.
(3) An electric or gas utility that is not a qualifying utility and that is located in a rural county is exempt from the requirements of RCW
19.27A.170.
(4) For the purposes of this section, "rural county" means a county with a population density of less than one hundred persons per square mile or a county smaller than two hundred twenty-five square miles as determined by the office of financial management and published each year by the department for the period July 1st to June 30th.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 20. A new section is added to chapter
19.27 RCW to read as follows:
(1) Buildings that are located in rural counties are exempt from the requirements of RCW
19.27.540.
(2) For the purposes of this section, "rural county" means a county with a population density of less than one hundred persons per square mile or a county smaller than two hundred twenty-five square miles as determined by the office of financial management and published each year by the department of commerce for the period July 1st to June 30th."