SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5173
As of January 19, 2025
Title: An act relating to county comprehensive plans and development regulations.
Brief Description: Concerning county comprehensive plans and development regulations.
Sponsors: Senators Short, Dozier and Fortunato.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Local Government: 1/20/25.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Changes the revision date by which counties and cities review and, if necessary, revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations every ten years to be either ten years from the previous adoption date or the current staggered deadlines.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Staff: Karen Epps (786-7424)
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.

 

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.

 

The ten-year review and revision deadlines are staggered for different counties. King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, and the cities within those counties, deadline was December 31, 2024. Clallam, Clark, Island, Jefferson, Lewis, Mason, San Juan, Skagit, Thurston, and Whatcom counties, and the cities within those counties, have a deadline of December 31, 2025. Benton, Chelan, Cowlitz, Douglas, Franklin, Kittitas, Skamania, Spokane, Walla Walla, and Yakima counties, and the cities within those counties, have a deadline of June 30, 2026. Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Wahkiakum, and Whitman counties, and the cities within those counties, have a deadline of June 30, 2027.

 

In 2022 and 2024 the Legislature temporarily amended the deadline to review and, if necessary, revise the comprehensive plans of King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, and the cities within those counties, and Clallam, Clark, Island, Jefferson, Lewis, Mason, San Juan, Skagit, Thurston, and Whatcom 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 December 31, 2025, respectively. Following the 2024 and 2025 review cycles, these counties return to the regularly scheduled ten-year review dates.
Summary of Bill:

The requirement that counties and cities review and, if necessary, revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations every ten years based on the staggered deadlines for different counties is changed to be either ten years from the previous adoption date or the staggered deadlines.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.