Bill > HB2141

This bill makes significant changes to Washington state's building and energy codes by implementing a 10-year pause on adopting new or updated building and energy codes. Specifically, starting with the 2024 code adoption, the State Building Code Council is prohibited from initiating, adopting, or implementing any further editions, revisions, or updates to building and energy codes for 10 years. Beginning with the 2036 edition, substantive updates to codes will be limited to occurring no more than every six years. During this pause, local amendments to building codes will not be approved, and any published corrections to code errors must be completed within 12 months of the implementation date. The bill allows exceptions for emergency amendments necessary to address imminent health and safety threats, maintain compliance with federal or state laws, or comply with court orders. The council may continue to engage in legislatively directed projects, planning, study, and stakeholder engagement activities during this period. The bill also repeals a previous statute related to residential and nonresidential construction energy consumption reduction reporting. These changes aim to provide stability and predictability in building code development while maintaining flexibility for critical safety and regulatory updates.

Government Affairs

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2141&Year=2025&Initiative=false