SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5558
As of February 3, 2025
Title: An act relating to growth management comprehensive plans.
Brief Description: Concerning growth management comprehensive plans.
Sponsors: Senators Goehner, Riccelli, Trudeau, Harris, Dozier, Boehnke, Gildon, Christian, Torres, Short, Holy, Warnick, Krishnadasan and Nobles.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Local Government: 2/03/25.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Extends the next deadline for Benton, Chelan, Cowlitz, Douglas, Franklin, Kittitas, Skamania, Spokane, Walla Walla, and Yakima counties, and the cities within those counties, to review and revise their comprehensive plans from June 30, 2026, to December 31, 2026. 
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.

 

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, the 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:

Benton, Chelan, Cowlitz, Douglas, Franklin, Kittitas, Skamania, Spokane, Walla Walla, and Yakima counties, and the cities within those counties are required to review and revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations no later than December 31, 2026. Following the extension provided for the 2025 review cycle, these jurisdictions will resume the regularly scheduled ten-year review cycle on June 30, 2036.
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.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

PRO:  This bill provides consistency and allows the counties with comprehensive plans due by June 30, 2026, to extend their compliance date by six months. Moving this deadline from June 30th to December 31st will afford jurisdictions the time necessary to incorporate vital climate and housing data ensuring that the planning process benefits from public input and legislative scrutiny. The Legislature has passed many new requirements in recent years that require more work and coordination for cities and counties to adopt their comprehensive plans. The 2026 counties are asking for the same extension that has been granted for the 2024 and 2025 counties. This bill allows for a more thoughtful and thorough engagement process and will help ensure that comp plans reflect the needs of a diverse community. This bill will allow the public to provide additional input into the process so that when it is done, it is fully reflective of all the goals and interests of the citizens and meet the needs for the county for the next ten years. This comprehensive plan update is almost a clean sheet rewrite of the comprehensive plan. The six-month period will allow jurisdictions to put development regulations in place to implement the new GMA compliant plan.

 

OTHER: There is a two year lead time for GMA updates and the previous shifts were done because of legislation that passed. It is important to get the updates done. Other requirements are linked to the comprehensive plan update schedule. The deadline for these other requirements should not also be pushed out.  There is a need for the bill but there is concern about the delay of those other requirements.
Persons Testifying:

PRO: Senator Keith Goehner, Prime Sponsor; Jacob Gonzalez, City of Pasco, Planning; Scott Chesney, Planning Director, Spokane County; Al French, Spokane County Commissioner; Paul Dillon, City of Spokane.

OTHER: Bryce Yadon, Futurewise; Morgan Irwin, Association of Washington Business.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.