Washington HB 1733: Retaining productive farmland.

Bill Text

CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1733
Chapter 297, Laws of 2025
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
AGENCY DISPLACEMENT—MOVING AND RELOCATION EXPENSES—MODIFICATION
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 27, 2025
Passed by the House April 24, 2025
Yeas 94 Nays 0
LAURIE JINKINS
Speaker of the House of
Representatives
Passed by the Senate April 16, 2025
Yeas 49 Nays 0
DENNY HECK
President of the Senate
CERTIFICATE
I, Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk of the
House of Representatives of the
State of Washington, do hereby
certify that the attached is
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1733 as
passed by the House of
Representatives and the Senate on
the dates hereon set forth.
BERNARD DEAN
Chief Clerk
Approved May 17, 2025 11:12 AM FILED
May 19, 2025
BOB FERGUSON
Governor of the State of Washington
Secretary of State
State of Washington

AN ACT Relating to increasing the reimbursement cap for moving 1
and relocation expenses incurred by persons affected by agency 2
displacements; and amending RCW 8.26.035.3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 8.26.035 and 2017 c 12 s 1 are each amended to read 5
as follows:6
(1) Whenever a program or project to be undertaken by a 7
displacing agency will result in the displacement of any person, the 8
displacing agency shall provide for the payment to the displaced 9
person of:10
(a) Actual reasonable expenses in moving himself or herself, or 11
his or her family, business, farm operation, or other personal 12
property;13
(b) Actual direct losses of tangible personal property as a 14
result of moving or discontinuing a business or farm operation, but 15
not to exceed an amount equal to the reasonable expenses that would 16
have been required to relocate the property, in accordance with 17
criteria established by the lead agency;18
(c) Actual reasonable expenses in searching for a replacement 19
business or farm; ((and))20
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1733
AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE
Passed Legislature - 2025 Regular Session
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By House Civil Rights & Judiciary (originally sponsored by
Representatives Thomas, Fitzgibbon, Zahn, Street, Fosse, Reed,
Parshley, Cortes, Hill, Bernbaum, and Ramel)
READ FIRST TIME 02/18/25.
p. 1 SHB 1733.SL

(d) ((Actual)) Except as provided in (e) of this subsection, 1
actual reasonable expenses necessary to reestablish a displaced farm, 2
nonprofit organization, or small business at its new site, in 3
accordance with criteria established by the lead agency, but not to 4
exceed ((fifty thousand dollars or the)):5
(i) $200,000; or6
(ii) The dollar amount allowed under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 4622 as it 7
existed on July 23, 2017, or such subsequent date as may be provided 8
by the displacing agency by rule or regulation, consistent with the 9
purposes of this section, whichever is greater; and10
(e) Until August 1, 2030, if the displacing agency is a state 11
agency, actual reasonable expenses necessary to reestablish a 12
displaced farm, nonprofit organization, or small business at its new 13
site, in accordance with criteria established by the lead agency, but 14
not to exceed:15
(i) $100,000; or16
(ii) The dollar amount allowed under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 4622 as it 17
existed on July 23, 2017, or such subsequent date as may be provided 18
by the displacing agency by rule or regulation, consistent with the 19
purposes of this section, whichever is greater.20
(2) A displaced person eligible for payments under subsection (1) 21
of this section who is displaced from a dwelling and who elects to 22
accept the payments authorized by this subsection in lieu of the 23
payments authorized by subsection (1) of this section may receive an 24
expense and dislocation allowance determined according to a schedule 25
established by the lead agency.26
(3) A displaced person eligible for payments under subsection (1) 27
of this section who is displaced from the person's place of business 28
or farm operation and who is eligible under criteria established by 29
the lead agency may elect to accept the payment authorized by this 30
subsection in lieu of the payment authorized by subsection (1) of 31
this section. The payment shall consist of a fixed payment in an 32
amount to be determined according to criteria established by the lead 33
agency, except that the payment shall be not less than the dollar 34
amount allowed under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 4622 as it existed on July 23, 35
2017, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the displacing 36
agency by rule or regulation, consistent with the purposes of this 37
section. A person whose sole business at the displacement dwelling is 38
the rental of that property to others does not qualify for a payment 39
under this subsection.40
p. 2 SHB 1733.SL

(4) Beginning August 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, the lead 1
agency shall adjust the dollar amounts specified in subsection 2
(1)(d)(i) and (e)(i) of this section for inflation by increasing the 3
previous year's dollar amount by