The proposed bill establishes regulations for the creation and management of family burial grounds on privately owned property in Washington State. It allows individuals to designate areas of their land as family burial grounds with the written consent of co-owners, if applicable. The bill outlines specific requirements for these burial grounds, including setbacks from property boundaries and critical areas, size restrictions relative to the parcel, and compliance with local building and health laws for any mausoleum or columbarium. It mandates property owners to report interments to the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation and to disclose the existence of family burial grounds when selling the property. The legislation also allows local governments to regulate or prohibit family burial grounds and clarifies that these grounds will not be exempt from taxation.

Additionally, the bill introduces a new seller disclosure statement format that requires sellers to provide detailed information about the property, including whether it contains a family burial ground, mausoleum, or columbarium. Sellers must complete the form without leaving any spaces blank and deliver it within five business days after mutual acceptance of a purchase contract. The disclosures are based on the seller's actual knowledge and are not representations made by real estate licensees. The bill also establishes a new section mandating the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation to create rules for issuing permits for disinterring and reinterring human remains from family burial grounds, with the new regulations set to take effect on January 1, 2027.

Statutes affected:
Original bill: 7.80.120, 68.04.060, 68.04.080, 68.04.100, 68.05.400, 68.20.010, 68.20.140, 68.50.130, 84.36.020
Substitute bill: 7.80.120, 68.04.060, 68.04.080, 68.04.100, 68.05.400, 68.20.010, 68.20.140, 68.50.130, 84.36.020
Bill as passed Legislature: 7.80.120, 68.04.060, 68.04.080, 68.04.100, 68.05.400, 68.20.010, 68.20.140, 68.50.130, 84.36.020