Washington HB 2316: Concerning fees charged to persons who commit trafficking and prostitution offenses.

Bill Text

AN ACT Relating to land use development when vegetation 1
associated with shrubsteppe is present in the urban growth areas; 2
amending RCW 36.70A.110; and creating a new section.3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that only 3.74 5
percent of Washington's total land area falls within urban growth 6
boundaries. The state's policy is for intense development to happen 7
on property within the urban growth boundaries. The growth management 8
act offers broad concepts to provide flexibility in local choices, 9
not requirements for every property. Urban development can be 10
skyscrapers with parking garages, sidewalks, and every square inch of 11
the land fully developed. The ability to develop such density and 12
fully use property within urban growth boundaries is necessary 13
statewide when there are such small amounts of land available for 14
intense development.15
The legislature is serious about facilitating the creation of 16
affordable housing in urban growth areas along with other development 17
opportunities needed to support the people living in those areas. 18
Land within urban growth areas is not suited for wildlife or 19
conservation areas due to the people, buildings, roadways, and 20
lights.21
H-2579.2
HOUSE BILL 2316
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Connors, Klicker, Ybarra, Barkis, Dufault, Dent,
Graham, and Barnard
Prefiled 01/07/26. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Local Government.
p. 1 HB 2316

Shrubsteppe is typically considered an ecosystem in undeveloped 1
areas where wildlife is present. The presence of plants or shrubs 2
that can be found in the shrubsteppe on property does not make that 3
property a functional ecosystem.4
Shrubsteppe is a conduit for wildfire. Wildfire in urban areas 5
endangers lives and property. Building codes meant to reduce the 6
threat of wildfire recommend creating a defensible space to prevent 7
wildfire from spreading from forest lands to buildings in urban 8
areas, and thus removal of such fire fuel is desirable in urban 9
growth areas.10
The legislature finds that the loss of plants and bushes 11
associated with shrubsteppe in urban growth areas has a negligible 12
impact on the environment and natural ecosystems. The ability to 13
develop land within the urban growth boundary to the fullest 14
potential helps reduce pressures to develop land outside of the urban 15
growth boundary. Government regulations that require property owners 16
to take additional steps add costs and delays that this act intends 17
to prevent. This policy will assist the state in achieving the 18
governor's housing goal of producing more than one million homes 19
statewide by 2044. Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature 20
that the existence of shrubsteppe within urban growth areas does not 21
prevent needed housing and other development. This act gives clear 22
direction to help improve development outcomes consistent with the 23
intent of the growth management act.24
Sec. 2. RCW 36.70A.110 and 2025 c 258 s 2 are each amended to 25
read as follows:26
(1) Each county that is required or chooses to plan under RCW 27
36.70A.040 shall designate an urban growth area or areas within which 28
urban growth shall be encouraged and outside of which growth can 29
occur only if it is not urban in nature. Each city that is located in 30
such a county shall be included within an urban growth area. An urban 31
growth area may include more than a single city. An urban growth area 32
may include territory that is located outside of a city only if such 33
territory already is characterized by urban growth whether or not the 34
urban growth area includes a city, or is adjacent to territory 35
already characterized by urban growth, or is a designated new fully 36
contained community as defined by RCW 36.70A.350. When a federally 37
recognized Indian tribe whose reservation or ceded lands lie within 38
the county or city has voluntarily chosen to participate in the 39
p. 2 HB 2316

planning process pursuant to RCW 36.70A.040, the county or city and 1
the tribe shall coordinate their planning efforts for any areas 2
planned for urban growth consistent with the terms outlined in the 3
memorandum of agreement provided for in RCW 36.70A.040(8).4
(2) Based upon the growth management population projection made 5
for the county by the office of financial management, the county and 6
each city within the county shall include areas and densities 7
sufficient to permit the urban growth that is projected to occur in 8
the county or city for the succeeding twenty-year period, except for 9
those urban growth areas contained totally within a national 10
historical reserve. As part of this planning process, each city 11
within the county must include areas sufficient to accommodate the 12
broad range of needs and uses that will accompany the projected urban 13
growth including, as