AN ACT Relating to residential housing regulations; adding new sections to chapter 19.27 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 36.70A RCW; and creating a new section.

(1) The state building code council shall convene a technical advisory group for the purpose of recommending the additions or amendments to rules or codes that are necessary for the council to apply the international residential code to multiplex housing and exempt multiplex housing from the international building code. These recommendations must include those code changes necessary to ensure public health and safety in multifamily housing under the international residential code and may include the life safety systems for multiplex housing from the international building code.

(2) The advisory group shall provide its recommendations to the council in time for the council to adopt or amend rules or codes as necessary for implementation in the 2024 international building code. The council shall take action to adopt additions and amendments to rules or codes as necessary to apply the international residential code to multiplex housing by July 1, 2026.

(3) For the purposes of this section, "multiplex housing" means a building with up to six dwelling units consolidated into a single structure with common walls and floors and a functional primary street entrance, or a building of up to three stories containing up to six dwelling units consolidated into a single structure.

(1) The state building code council shall convene a technical advisory group for the purpose of recommending amendments to the international building code that would allow for a minimum dwelling unit size that is less than 190 square feet but greater than or equal to 70 square feet of habitable space. The technical advisory group shall strive to align the state building code sections related to interior environment with the relevant sections of the national healthy housing standard published by the national center for healthy housing. When developing the recommendations, the technical advisory group must review the differences between the state building code and the national healthy housing standard in consultation with experts in public health and fire safety.

(2) The technical advisory group shall provide its recommendations to the council in time for the council to adopt or amend rules or codes as necessary for implementation in the 2024 international building code. The council shall take action to adopt additions and amendments to rules or codes as necessary by July 1, 2026.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The office of regulatory innovation and assistance shall contract with a qualified external consultant or entity to develop a standard plan set demonstrating a prescriptive compliance pathway that will meet or exceed all energy code regulations for residential housing in the state subject to the international residential code. The standard plan set may be used, but is not required, by local governments and building industries. In developing the standard plan set, the consultant shall, at a minimum, seek feedback from cities, counties, building industries, and building officials. The standard plan set must be completed by June 30, 2025.

(1) For retrofits of existing buildings to be used for residential housing, a city or county must allow the portion of exterior wall assemblies that include insulation to project up to an additional eight inches into the setbacks on all sides.

(2) For existing nonconforming buildings already projecting into setbacks, a city or county must allow the portion of exterior wall assemblies that include insulation to project up to an additional eight inches into the setbacks on all sides if the building is to be used for residential housing.

(3) For retrofits of existing buildings to be used for residential housing, gross floor area must be measured from the interior face of the exterior walls, which includes drywall, as typically depicted on the architectural floor plans.

(a) Any required setback must be measured to the outside face of the foundation, and a city or county must allow the portion of exterior wall assemblies that include insulation to project up to eight inches into setbacks on all sides; and

(b) Gross floor area must be measured from the interior face of the exterior walls, which includes drywall, as typically depicted on the architectural floor plans.

(2) For new construction and the retrofit of existing buildings meeting passive house requirements, a city or county must allow residential housing to exceed the maximum allowable roof height by eight inches to accommodate additional insulation.

A city or county may not require off-street parking as a condition of permitting a residential project if compliance with tree retention or protection requirements would otherwise make a proposed residential development or redevelopment infeasible.