HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2655

             As Reported By House Committee On:

            Trade, Economic Development & Housing

Title:  An act relating to ownership of manufactured homes.

Brief Description:  Revising provisions relating to ownership of manufactured homes.

Sponsors:  Representatives Shin, H. Myers and Forner; by request of Department of Community Development.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Trade, Economic Development & Housing, February 3, 1994, DPS.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRADE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & HOUSING

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 12 members:  Representatives Wineberry, Chair; Shin, Vice Chair; Schoesler, Ranking Minority Member; Chandler, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Backlund; Campbell; Conway; Morris; Quall; Sheldon; Springer and Valle.

Staff:  Bill Lynch (786-7092).

Background:  During the 1990 legislative session, the Legislature transferred the responsibility of administering the titling of manufactured homes from the Department of Licensing to the Department of Community Development.  The Department of Licensing continues to administer the titles to manufactured homes through an interagency agreement between the two agencies.  Ownership of a manufactured home is still largely treated like the ownership of a vehicle rather than ownership of a home.

A task force has been working on developing a new system of obtaining and transferring ownership of manufactured homes.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development is required to work with the Department of Revenue and the Department of Licensing to develop proposed legislation that treats the ownership of manufactured homes more like housing rather than vehicles.

The proposed legislation must treat manufactured housing as real property to the greatest extent possible, with the program being administered at the local level. The agencies must consult with affected interest groups, including local government officials and the Affordable Housing Advisory Board when developing the proposed legislation. The agencies must report their findings and submit the proposed legislation to the House Trade, Economic Development and Housing Committee and the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee by December 1, 1994.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The substitute bill turns the original proposal into a study.

Fiscal Note:  Requested January 19, 1994.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  The bill takes effect July 1, 1995.

Testimony For:  Many people have worked hard on this proposal and progress is continuing to be made.  County officials are very supportive of these efforts because the current laws are very confusing to administer.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Representative Paull Shin, prime sponsor (pro); Nancy Hanna and Corine Foster, Department of Community Development (pro); Bob Terwilliger, Snohomish County Auditor (pro); Ron Clarke, Washington Manufactured Housing Association (neutral); Nikki Baker, Mobile Home Owners (pro); and Jim Thomas, Department of Revenue (neutral).