The bill seeks to improve compliance with housing element requirements under Washington State's Growth Management Act by mandating that counties and cities planning under RCW 36.70A.040 submit their housing elements and related development regulations to the Department for review at least 120 days prior to seeking approval. The Department will evaluate compliance with various laws and regulations, and the bill outlines the application components, decision timelines, and notification processes regarding compliance status. It also establishes a publicly available compliance list for jurisdictions. Additionally, noncompliant cities or counties are restricted from denying or imposing conditions on affordable or moderate-income housing developments unless specific criteria are met, and developers must include legally binding affordability measures for a minimum of 25 years.

The bill further amends existing laws to streamline the compliance and review processes for comprehensive plans and development regulations, requiring petitions related to compliance to be submitted within sixty days of publication. It clarifies responsibilities for local governments in reviewing and revising their plans, allows smaller cities to opt out of full reviews under certain conditions, and mandates public participation programs for plan updates. The bill also addresses the management of critical areas in watersheds, stipulating that counties are not required to update regulations if benchmarks are met, while introducing requirements for progress reports on comprehensive plan implementation. It includes provisions to exempt certain actions from appeals, prioritizes public works projects for financial assistance, and establishes the act as the "housing accountability act" with a severability clause.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 36.70A.290, 36.70A.320, 36.70A.130
Substitute Bill: 36.70A.290, 36.70A.130
Second Substitute: 36.70A.290, 36.70A.130
Engrossed Second Substitute: 36.70A.290, 36.70A.130, 43.155.070