About the Author
House Bill 1438 (HB 1438), introduced by Representative April Conners (R), will require cities that are governed by the Growth Management Act (GMA) to approve applications automatically if they don’t meet the deadlines prescribed in the law.
The bill would require a local municipality that misses a permit deadline the next business day if certain conditions are met.
These include,
- The project is located within an Urban Growth Area (UGA).
- The project contains at least one residential unit.
- The application included plans stamped by a Washington licensed professional engineer or architect.
The bill stipulates that the local government did not identify, in writing, serious public health or safety concerns that would prevent the approval of the project.
There are sufficient safeguards in the legislation to prevent a permit accidentally being approved (through inaction) or circumventing the review process, including extending the deadline if needed.
House Bill 1438 is good policy and should be passed into law. The Washington Policy Center (WPC) has proposed similar concepts to help streamline permitting processes, including automatically approving permits that are not issued in a timely manner.
