Bill > SB5719

This bill provides comprehensive updates to local government hearing examiner systems across Washington state, standardizing and expanding their roles in land use and development permit decisions. It requires counties fully planning under the Growth Management Act and cities with populations over 2,000 to adopt hearing examiner systems for quasi-judicial development permit applications, including plat approvals, conditional uses, variances, and appeals of administrative decisions. The bill allows jurisdictions to require applicants to cover reasonable hearing examiner service costs, permits interlocal agreements to share hearing examiners, and establishes consistent procedural requirements such as rendering written decisions within 10 business days and ensuring decisions align with comprehensive plans and development regulations. In cases where a hearing examiner is unavailable, the bill allows planning directors to temporarily assume those responsibilities. Cities and counties that are required to submit comprehensive plan updates in 2027 must incorporate these requirements in their next update, while other jurisdictions must implement the changes within two years of the bill's effective date. The legislation aims to create more uniform, efficient, and transparent land use decision-making processes across different local government jurisdictions in Washington.