A new year means a new legislative session. On Monday, Jan. 12, lawmakers will convene in Olympia for an intense 60-day session. Despite $9 billion in new taxes signed by Governor Bob Ferguson last year, our state continues to face a massive budget shortfall, largely from a mismatch between spending obligations and tax collections.

Even with the Senate’s lead budget writer, Sen. June Robinson, warning colleagues that new spending requests would not be entertained, progressives have and will almost certainly continue to advocate for a variation of a “wealth tax.”

While most of our work this year will likely be playing defense on legislation that harms the residential construction industry, we hope to see a few bills pass the finish line:

• HB 1164 requires local governments to expand their urban growth area boundaries to include parcels that are adjacent to urban infrastructure and have adequate capacity to connect to service.
• HB 1345 would allow detached ADUs to be constructed outside of Urban Growth Areas, if certain conditions (such as water adequacy) are met.
  SB 5613 directs local governments to adopt non-subjective development regulations by 2029.
• SB 5613 directs local governments to adopt non-subjective development regulations by 2029.
• SB 5729 seeks to limit the number of third-party reviews requested during the determination of completeness check of a permit application.

In addition, BIAW’s Legislative Policy Committee adopted the following legislative priorities that will shape our advocacy in 2026:
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A pause on statewide building codes for 10 years

• Pause new code updates for 10 years after the 2024 edition and move to a six-year code cycle.
• Reform council membership and code adoption process.

Since 2009, code changes have added over $40,000 to new home costs and have priced out more than 80% of Washington families’ ability to purchase a home.

Washington needs a decade of code stability to build one million homes. Let’s focus on building, not rewriting rules.

Impact fee uniformity for fair growth and planning

• Require local governments to cost-share by limiting how much a project (50%) can be paid for with collected impact fees.
• Tie fee updates to comprehensive plan cycles to ensure consistency with capital facility plans.
• Replace lien-based deferrals with promissory notes.

More access to buildable lands

• Expand land supply by reforming the Growth Management Act and allowing diverse options like rural ADUs.

With only 3.7% of land open for housing, expanding growth areas (even to 10%) could dramatically improve affordability.

Real permit reform

• Allow licensed professionals to certify code compliance to fast-track project approvals.
• Encourage the use of AI by permitting authorities to streamline permit intake.

Subdivision reform & streamlining

• Allow administrative plat approval, clarify pre-application meetings, and encourage concurrent review of plats and construction plans to reduce costs, speed approvals, and expand infill housing.

Clear & objective development standards

• Require local development codes to use clear, measurable, and objective standards. The goal is to remove subjective interpretation, provide predictable outcomes, and deliver faster, more affordable housing approvals.
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Please don’t forget to register for the weekly Legislative Briefing Calls every Tuesday during session. Click here for full details and registration.