After extensive stakeholder engagement and strong bipartisan support, Rep. Andrew Barkis’ (R-Olympia) HB 2673, modifying the local categorical State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) exemption for infill development, unanimously passed the House and passed the Senate with only four “no” votes.

This legislation, now on its way to Gov. Jay Inslee, includes development in areas where current density and intensity of use is roughly equal to or lower than projections in a local government's Growth Management Act comprehensive plan.

Working with SEPA exemptions within the context of the comprehensive plan while within the Urban Growth Area map is very important. This legislation helps alleviate some of the redundancies and time delays encountered by developers, which is something that the state cannot afford with building more units. Although the outright exemption in the underlying bill is preferred, the bill still allows flexibility with local options for jurisdictions who want to plan for growth.

BIAW would like to thank housing champion Rep. Barkis for his hard work on this bill.