WA People
BILL · 2017–18 SESSION

HB 2239: Water availability/Hirst

Addressing water availability issues created by the Washington supreme court decision in Whatcom County v. Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board, also known as the Hirst decision, solely by providing immediate and temporary relief to landowners affected by the Hirst decision by ensuring that a water well report for a groundwater withdrawal exempt from permitting and not prohibited by an applicable water resources management rule adopted by the department of ecology may serve until December 31, 2018, as evidence of an adequate water supply for a building necessitating potable water, allowing cities and counties to rely until December 31, 2018, on water resource management rules adopted by the department of ecology in providing for the protection of surface water and groundwate

Summary

  • Permits an applicant for a building permit requiring potable water to present a water well report for a permit-exempt groundwater withdrawal that is not prohibited by an instream flow rule, as evidence of an adequate water supply for the building, until December 31, 2018, and except in certain areas.
  • Authorizes a county or city to rely on or refer to applicable water resource management rules adopted by Ecology in complying with the Growth Management Act's (GMA) mandate to provide for protection of the quality and quantity of groundwater used for public water supplies, until December 31, 2018, and except in certain areas.
  • Requires the rural element of a comprehensive plan adopted pursuant to the GMA to include measures to protect critical areas, and surface water and groundwater resources, which may include measures that rely on or refer to applicable water resource management rules adopted by Ecology, until December 31, 2018, and except in certain areas.
  • Creates a joint legislative task force to review the treatment of permit-exempt groundwater withdrawals and certain other water-related topics.

From the House Bill Report (HB 2239), written by the Legislature's nonpartisan staff. Read the full report ↗

Did not pass Did not pass · died in committee
  1. IntroducedJun 28, 2017
  2. Out of committeeJun 28, 2017
  3. Passed Housestopped here
  4. Passed Senate
  5. Governor
  6. Law
Prime sponsor
Derek Stanford (D-1)
Introduced
June 28, 2017 in the House
Last action
January 8, 2018

AN ACT Relating to addressing water availability issues created by the Washington supreme court decision in Whatcom County v. Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board, also known as the Hirst decision, solely by providing immediate and temporary relief to landowners affected by the Hirst decision by ensuring that a water well report for a groundwater withdrawal exempt from permitting and not prohibited by an applicable water resources management rule adopted by the department of ecology may serve until December 31, 2018, as evidence of an adequate water supply for a building necessitating potable water, allowing cities and counties to rely until December 31, 2018, on water resource management rules adopted by the department of ecology in providing for the protection of surface water and groundwater resources except in certain water resource inventory areas, and creating a task force;

Sponsors

Prime sponsor: Derek Stanford (D-1)

4 co-sponsors (4 Democrats, 0 Republicans)

Larry Springer D-45Brian Blake D-19Steve Tharinger D-24Laurie Dolan D-22

Votes

No recorded floor votes. This measure never reached a floor vote.

History

  1. Rules Committee relieved of further consideration.
  2. Referred to Agriculture & Natural Resources.
  3. By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
  4. Referred to Rules 2 Review.
  5. Read first time, rules suspended, and placed on second reading calendar.

HB 2239 in other sessions

Bill numbers restart every two years, so the same number is a different bill in each session.

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