FINAL BILL REPORT

ESSB 5703

C 335 L 01

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Modifying manufactured home provisions.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce & Financial Institutions (originally sponsored by Senators Hargrove and Winsley).

Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce & Financial Institutions

House Committee on Commerce & Labor

Background: Manufactured homes are built according to the federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1976.  Mobile homes are factory built dwellings built prior to 1976 according to state standards in force at that time.  The current federal code preempts state standards.  Although similar in many respects, this is a different "building code" than the Uniform Building Code that applies to site-built homes.

The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) is the designated agency to inspect units being built in factories in this state.   L&I is also responsible for issuing permits for the alteration of mobile or manufactured homes once they leave the factory, and for inspecting the home when the alteration is complete.  To get a permit for alteration, a homeowner or contractor must submit a plan, which in some cases must be accompanied with an engineering analysis.  The concern expressed by some mobile/manufactured home owners is that this process is needlessly burdensome and costly, particularly in the case of minor repairs and alterations.

Summary:  The Department of Labor and Industries is directed to adopt rules regarding installed manufactured homes specifying exemptions from the permit requirement for alterations, authorizing the granting of variances for alterations that do not comply with manufacturing standards, and requiring disclosure when an altered manufactured home is sold.  The bill applies to altered mobile or manufactured homes without regard to when they were altered.  A joint legislative task force is established to review the regulation of manufactured/mobile homes and make recommendations to the Legislature by January 1, 2002.  The task force includes legislative members from the Senate Labor, Commerce & Financial Institutions Committee and the House Commerce & Labor Committee and interested parties.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate481

House     95 0 (House amended)

Senate    41 0 (Senate concurred)

Effective: July 22, 2001