SENATE BILL REPORT
SHB 2296
As Reported by Senate Committee On:
Local Government, Land Use & Tribal Affairs, February 15, 2024
Title: An act relating to extending the comprehensive plan revision schedule for select local governments.
Brief Description: Extending the comprehensive plan revision schedule for select local governments.
Sponsors: House Committee on Local Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Griffey, Wylie, Couture, Harris and Leavitt).
Brief History: Passed House: 2/13/24, 96-1.
Committee Activity: Local Government, Land Use & Tribal Affairs: 2/15/24 [DP].
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Temporarily amends the date in which Clallam, Clark, Island, Jefferson, Lewis, Mason, San Juan, Skagit, Thurston, and Whatcom counties are required to review and revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, LAND USE & TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Majority Report: Do pass.
Signed by Senators Lovelett, Chair; Salomon, Vice Chair; Torres, Ranking Member; Short.
Staff: Maggie Douglas (786-7279)
Background:

Growth Management Act. The Growth Management Act (GMA) is the comprehensive land use planning framework for counties and cities in Washington. The GMA establishes land use designation and environmental protection requirements for all Washington counties and cities. The GMA also establishes a significantly wider array of planning duties for 28 counties, and the cities within those counties, that are obligated to satisfy all planning requirements of the GMA. These jurisdictions are sometimes said to be fully planning under the GMA.

 

The GMA directs fully planning jurisdictions to adopt internally consistent comprehensive land use plans. Comprehensive plans are implemented through locally adopted development regulations, and both the plans and the local regulations are subject to review and revision requirements prescribed in the GMA. When developing their comprehensive plans, counties and cities must consider various goals set forth in statute. 

 

Comprehensive Plan Updates. Counties and cities are required to review and, if necessary, revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations every ten years. Counties, and the cities within them, are grouped into four different year classes for purposes of when the obligation to review and revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations commences.

 

In 2022 the Legislature passed HB 1241 temporarily amending the deadline to review and, if necessary, revise the comprehensive plans of King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, and the cities within those counties. These counties are required to review and revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations no later than December 31, 2024, and every ten years thereafter. Following the 2024 review cycle, King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish counties return to the regularly scheduled ten year review date of June 30, 2034.

 

Clallam, Clark, Island, Jefferson, Lewis, Mason, San Juan, Skagit, Thurston, and Whatcom counties are required to review and revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations no later than June 30, 2025, and every ten years thereafter. For Benton, Chelan, Cowlitz, Douglas, Franklin, Kittitas, Skamania, Spokane, Walla Walla and Yakima counties, the same requirements apply for June 30, 2026, and for Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Wahkiakum, and Whitman counties, the same requirements apply for June 30, 2027. 
Summary of Bill:

Clallam, Clark, Island, Jefferson, Lewis, Mason, San Juan, Skagit, Thurston, and Whatcom counties are required to review and revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations no later than December 31, 2025. Following the extension provided for the 2025 review cycle, these jurisdictions will resume the regularly scheduled ten-year review cycle on June 30, 2035.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

No public hearing was held. 
Persons Testifying: No one.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.