Washington HB 2418: Concerning permit review processes.

Bill Text

CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
ENGROSSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2418
69th Legislature
2026 Regular Session
Passed by the House March 11, 2026
Yeas 96 Nays 0
Speaker of the House of
Representatives
Passed by the Senate March 4, 2026
Yeas 49 Nays 0
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
ENGROSSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE
BILL 2418 as passed by the House of
Representatives and the Senate on
the dates hereon set forth.
Chief Clerk
Approved FILED
Governor of the State of Washington
Secretary of State
State of Washington

AN ACT Relating to permit review processes; amending RCW 1
36.70B.020, 36.70B.070, 36.70B.080, and 36.70B.060; reenacting and 2
amending RCW 36.70B.160; adding a new section to chapter 54.04 RCW; 3
adding a new section to chapter 43.21A RCW; adding a new section to 4
chapter 57.08 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 86.09 RCW; and 5
adding a new section to chapter 43.21C RCW.6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:7
Sec. 1. RCW 36.70B.020 and 2025 c 102 s 1 are each amended to 8
read as follows:9
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in 10
this section apply throughout this chapter.11
(1) "Closed record appeal" means an administrative appeal on the 12
record to a local government body or officer, including the 13
legislative body, following an open record hearing on a project 14
permit application when the appeal is on the record with no or 15
limited new evidence or information allowed to be submitted and only 16
appeal argument allowed.17
(2) "Development regulations" means the controls placed on 18
development or land use activities by a county or city including, but 19
not limited to, zoning ordinances, critical areas ordinances, 20
shoreline master programs, official controls, planned unit 21
ENGROSSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2418
AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE
Passed Legislature - 2026 Regular Session
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By House Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives
Duerr, Zahn, Parshley, Peterson, and Reed)
READ FIRST TIME 02/09/26.
p. 1 E2SHB 2418.PL

development ordinances, subdivision ordinances, and binding site plan 1
ordinances together with any amendments thereto. A development 2
regulation does not include a decision to approve a project permit 3
application, even though the decision may be expressed in a 4
resolution or ordinance of the legislative body of the county or 5
city.6
(3) "Local government" means a county, city, or town.7
(((3))) (4) "Open record hearing" means a hearing, conducted by a 8
single hearing body or officer authorized by the local government to 9
conduct such hearings, that creates the local government's record 10
through testimony and submission of evidence and information, under 11
procedures prescribed by the local government by ordinance or 12
resolution. An open record hearing may be held prior to a local 13
government's decision on a project permit to be known as an "open 14
record predecision hearing." An open record hearing may be held on an 15
appeal, to be known as an "open record appeal hearing," if no open 16
record predecision hearing has been held on the project permit.17
(((4))) (5)(a) "Project permit" or "project permit application" 18
means any land use or environmental permit or license required from a 19
local government for a project action, including but not limited to 20
subdivisions, binding site plans, planned unit developments, 21
conditional uses, shoreline substantial development permits, site 22
plan review, permits or approvals required by critical area 23
ordinances, site-specific rezones which do not require a 24
comprehensive plan amendment, but excluding the adoption or amendment 25
of a comprehensive plan, subarea plan, or development regulations 26
except as otherwise specifically included in this subsection.27
(b) "Project permit" or "project permit application" does not 28
include ((building)) permits issued based on compliance with state 29
and local building codes, or a special purpose district's or public 30
utility district's determination of service availability, system 31
capacity, infrastructure requirements, or review of proposed water, 32
sewer, or stormwater civil plans.33
(((5))) (6) "Public meeting" means an informal meeting, hearing, 34
workshop, or other public gathering of people to obtain comments from 35
the public or other agencies on a proposed project permit prior to 36
the local government's decision. A public meeting may include, but is 37
not limited to, a design review or architectural control board 38
meeting, a special review district or community council meeting, or a 39
scoping meeting on a draft environmental impact statement. A public 40
p. 2 E2SHB 2418.PL

meeting does not include an open record hearing. The proceedings at a 1
public meeting may be recorded and a