(1) Development regulations adopted pursuant to RCW 36.70A.040 must establish and implement time periods for local government actions for each type of project permit application and provide timely and predictable procedures to determine whether a completed project permit application meets the requirements of those development regulations. The time periods for local government actions for each type of complete project permit application or project type should not exceed one hundred twenty days, unless the local government makes written findings that a specified amount of additional time is needed to process specific complete project permit applications or project types.

The development regulations must, for each type of permit application, specify the contents of a completed project permit application necessary for the complete compliance with the time periods and procedures.

(2)(a) Counties subject to the requirements of RCW 36.70A.215 and the cities within those counties that have populations of at least twenty thousand must, for each type of permit application, identify the total number of project permit applications for which decisions are issued according to the provisions of this chapter. For each type of project permit application identified, these counties and cities must establish and implement a deadline for issuing a notice of final decision as required by subsection (1) of this section and minimum requirements for applications to be deemed complete under RCW 36.70B.070 as required by subsection (1) of this section.

(b) Counties and cities subject to the requirements of this subsection also must prepare annual performance reports that include, at a minimum, the following information for each type of project permit application identified in accordance with the requirements of (a) of this subsection:

(i) Total number of complete applications received during the year;

(ii) Number of complete applications received during the year for which a notice of final decision was issued before the deadline established under this subsection;

(iii) Number of applications received during the year for which a notice of final decision was issued after the deadline established under this subsection;

(iv) Number of applications received during the year for which an extension of time was mutually agreed upon by the applicant and the county or city;

(v) Variance of actual performance, excluding applications for which mutually agreed time extensions have occurred, to the deadline established under this subsection during the year; and

(vi) The mean processing time and the number standard deviation from the mean.

(c) Counties and cities subject to the requirements of this subsection must:

(i) Provide notice of and access to the annual performance reports through the county's or city's website; and

(ii) Post electronic facsimiles of the annual performance reports through the county's or city's website. Postings on a county's or city's website indicating that the reports are available by contacting the appropriate county or city department or official do not comply with the requirements of this subsection.

If a county or city subject to the requirements of this subsection does not maintain a website, notice of the reports must be given by reasonable methods, including but not limited to those methods specified in RCW 36.70B.110(4).

(3) Nothing in this section prohibits a county or city from extending a deadline for issuing a decision for a specific project permit application for any reasonable period of time mutually agreed upon by the applicant and the local government.

(4) The *department of community, trade, and economic development shall work with the counties and cities to review the potential implementation costs of the requirements of subsection (2) of this section. The department, in cooperation with the local governments, shall prepare a report summarizing the projected costs, together with recommendations for state funding assistance for implementation costs, and provide the report to the governor and appropriate committees of the senate and house of representatives by January 1, 2005.

*Reviser's note: The "department of community, trade, and economic development" was renamed the "department of commerce" by 2009 c 565.

Findings—Intent—2004 c 191: "The legislature finds that the timely issuance of project permit decisions by local governments serves the public interest. When these decisions, that are often responses to land use and building permit applications, are issued according to specific and locally established time periods and without unnecessary or inappropriate delays, the public enjoys greater efficiency, consistency, and predictability in the permitting process.

The legislature also finds that full access to relevant performance data produced annually by local governments for each type of permit application affords elected officials, project proponents, and the general public the opportunity to review and compare the permit application and processing performance of jurisdictions. Furthermore, the legislature finds that the review and comparison of this data, and the requirement to provide convenient and direct internet access to germane and consistent reports, will likely foster improved methods for processing applications, and issuing project permit decisions in a timely manner.

The legislature, therefore, intends to continue and clarify the requirements for certain jurisdictions to produce and provide access to annual permitting performance reports." [ 2004 c 191 § 1.]

Effective date—1995 c 347 § 410: "Section 410, chapter 347, Laws of 1995 shall take effect July 1, 2000." [ 1998 c 286 § 10; 1995 c 347 § 412.]

Expiration date—1995 c 347 § 409: "The amendments to RCW 36.70B.080 contained in section 409, chapter 347, Laws of 1995 shall expire July 1, 2000." [ 1998 c 286 § 9; 1995 c 347 § 411.]

Severability—1994 c 257: See note following RCW 36.70A.270.

Development regulations must provide sufficient land capacity for development: RCW 36.70A.115.

(1)(a) Development regulations adopted pursuant to RCW 36.70A.040 must establish and implement time periods for local government actions for each type of project permit application and provide timely and predictable procedures to determine whether a completed project permit application meets the requirements of those development regulations. The time periods for local government actions for each type of complete project permit application or project type should not exceed those specified in this section.

(b) For project permits submitted after January 1, 2025, the development regulations must, for each type of permit application, specify the contents of a completed project permit application necessary for the complete compliance with the time periods and procedures.

(c) A jurisdiction may exclude certain permit types and timelines for processing project permit applications as provided for in RCW 36.70B.140.

(d) The time periods for local government action to issue a final decision for each type of complete project permit application or project type subject to this chapter should not exceed the following time periods unless modified by the local government pursuant to this section or RCW 36.70B.140:

(i) For project permits which do not require public notice under RCW 36.70B.110, a local government must issue a final decision within 65 days of the determination of completeness under RCW 36.70B.070;

(ii) For project permits which require public notice under RCW 36.70B.110, a local government must issue a final decision within 100 days of the determination of completeness under RCW 36.70B.070; and

(iii) For project permits which require public notice under RCW 36.70B.110 and a public hearing, a local government must issue a final decision within 170 days of the determination of completeness under RCW 36.70B.070.

(e) A jurisdiction may modify the provisions in (d) of this subsection to add permit types not identified, change the permit names or types in each category, address how consolidated review time periods may be different than permits submitted individually, and provide for how projects of a certain size or type may be differentiated, including by differentiating between residential and nonresidential permits. Unless otherwise provided for the consolidated review of more than one permit, the time period for a final decision shall be the longest of the permit time periods identified in (d) of this subsection or as amended by a local government.

(f) If a local government does not adopt an ordinance or resolution modifying the provisions in (d) of this subsection, the time periods in (d) of this subsection apply.

(g) The number of days an application is in review with the county or city shall be calculated from the day completeness is determined under RCW 36.70B.070 to the date a final decision is issued on the project permit application. The number of days shall be calculated by counting every calendar day and excluding the following time periods:

(i) Any period between the day that the county or city has notified the applicant, in writing, that additional information is required to further process the application and the day when responsive information is resubmitted by the applicant;

(ii) Any period after an applicant informs the local government, in writing, that they would like to temporarily suspend review of the project permit application until the time that the applicant notifies the local government, in writing, that they would like to resume the application. A local government may set conditions for the temporary suspension of a permit application; and

(iii) Any period after an administrative appeal is filed until the administrative appeal is resolved and any additional time period provided by the administrative appeal has expired.

(h) The time periods for a local government to process a permit shall start over if an applicant proposes a change in use that adds or removes commercial or residential elements from the original application that would make the application fail to meet the determination of procedural completeness for the new use, as required by the local government under RCW 36.70B.070.

(i) If, at any time, an applicant informs the local government, in writing, that the applicant would like to temporarily suspend the review of the project for more than 60 days, or if an applicant is not responsive for more than 60 consecutive days after the county or city has notified the applicant, in writing, that additional information is required to further process the application, an additional 30 days may be added to the time periods for local government action to issue a final decision for each type of project permit that is subject to this chapter. Any written notice from the local government to the applicant that additional information is required to further process the application must include a notice that nonresponsiveness for 60 consecutive days may result in 30 days being added to the time for review. For the purposes of this subsection, "nonresponsiveness" means that an applicant is not making demonstrable progress on providing additional requested information to the local government, or that there is no ongoing communication from the applicant to the local government on the applicant's ability or willingness to provide the additional information.

(j) Annual amendments to the comprehensive plan are not subject to the requirements of this section.

(k) A county's or city's adoption of a resolution or ordinance to implement this subsection shall not be subject to appeal under chapter 36.70A RCW unless the resolution or ordinance modifies the time periods provided in (d) of this subsection by providing for a review period of more than 170 days for any project permit.

(l)(i) When permit time periods provided for in (d) of this subsection, as may be amended by a local government, and as may be extended as provided for in (i) of this subsection, are not met, a portion of the permit fee must be refunded to the applicant as provided in this subsection. A local government may provide for the collection of only 80 percent of a permit fee initially, and for the collection of the remaining balance if the permitting time periods are met. The portion of the fee refunded for missing time periods shall be:

(A) 10 percent if the final decision of the project permit application was made after the applicable deadline but the period from the passage of the deadline to the time of issuance of the final decision did not exceed 20 percent of the original time period; or

(B) 20 percent if the period from the passage of the deadline to the time of the issuance of the final decision exceeded 20 percent of the original time period.

(ii) Except as provided in RCW 36.70B.160, the provisions in subsection (l)(i) of this section are not applicable to cities and counties which have implemented at least three of the options in RCW 36.70B.160(1) (a) through (j) at the time an application is deemed procedurally complete.

(2)(a) Counties subject to the requirements of RCW 36.70A.215 and the cities within those counties that have populations of at least 20,000 must, for each type of permit application, identify the total number of project permit applications for which decisions are issued according to the provisions of this chapter. For each type of project permit application identified, these counties and cities must establish and implement a deadline for issuing a notice of final decision as required by subsection (1) of this section and minimum requirements for applications to be deemed complete under RCW 36.70B.070 as required by subsection (1) of this section.

(b) Counties and cities subject to the requirements of this subsection also must prepare an annual performance report that includes information outlining time periods for certain permit types associated with housing. The report must provide:

(i) Permit time periods for certain permit processes in the county or city in relation to those established under this section, including whether the county or city has established shorter time periods than those provided in this section;

(ii) The total number of decisions issued during the year for the following permit types: Preliminary subdivisions, final subdivisions, binding site plans, permit processes associated with the approval of multifamily housing, and construction plan review for each of these permit types when submitted separately;

(iii) The total number of decisions for each permit type which included consolidated project permit review, such as concurrent review of a rezone or construction plans;

(iv) The average number of days from a submittal to a decision being issued for the project permit types listed in *subsection (2)(a)(ii) of this section. This shall be calculated from the day completeness is determined under RCW 36.70B.070 to the date a decision is issued on the application. The number of days shall be calculated by counting every calendar day;

(v) The total number of days each project permit application of a type listed in *subsection (2)(a)(ii) of this section was in review with the county or city. This shall be calculated from the day completeness is determined under RCW 36.70B.070 to the date a final decision is issued on the application. The number of days shall be calculated by counting every calendar day. The days the application is in review with the county or city does not include the time periods in subsection (1)(g)(i)-(iii) [(1)(g)(i) through (iii)] of this section;

(vi) The total number of days that were excluded from the time period calculation under subsection (1)(g)(i)-(iii) [(1)(g)(i) through (iii)] of this section for each project permit application of a type listed in *subsection (2)(a)(ii) of this section.

(c) Counties and cities subject to the requirements of this subsection must:

(i) Post the annual performance report through the county's or city's website; and

(ii) Submit the annual performance report to the department of commerce by March 1st each year.

(d) No later than July 1st each year, the department of commerce shall publish a report which includes the annual performance report data for each county and city subject to the requirements of this subsection and a list of those counties and cities whose time periods are shorter than those provided for in this section.

The annual report must also include key metrics and findings from the information collected.

(e) The initial annual report required under this subsection must be submitted to the department of commerce by March 1, 2025, and must include information from permitting in 2024.

(3) Nothing in this section prohibits a county or city from extending a deadline for issuing a decision for a specific project permit application for any reasonable period of time mutually agreed upon by the applicant and the local government.

*Reviser's note: The reference to RCW 36.70B.080(2)(a)(ii) appears to be erroneous. RCW 36.70B.080(2)(b)(ii) was apparently intended.

Effective date—2023 c 338 § 7: "Section 7 of this act takes effect January 1, 2025." [ 2023 c 338 § 13.]

Findings—Intent—2004 c 191: "The legislature finds that the timely issuance of project permit decisions by local governments serves the public interest. When these decisions, that are often responses to land use and building permit applications, are issued according to specific and locally established time periods and without unnecessary or inappropriate delays, the public enjoys greater efficiency, consistency, and predictability in the permitting process.

The legislature also finds that full access to relevant performance data produced annually by local governments for each type of permit application affords elected officials, project proponents, and the general public the opportunity to review and compare the permit application and processing performance of jurisdictions. Furthermore, the legislature finds that the review and comparison of this data, and the requirement to provide convenient and direct internet access to germane and consistent reports, will likely foster improved methods for processing applications, and issuing project permit decisions in a timely manner.

The legislature, therefore, intends to continue and clarify the requirements for certain jurisdictions to produce and provide access to annual permitting performance reports." [ 2004 c 191 § 1.]

Effective date—1995 c 347 § 410: "Section 410, chapter 347, Laws of 1995 shall take effect July 1, 2000." [ 1998 c 286 § 10; 1995 c 347 § 412.]

Expiration date—1995 c 347 § 409: "The amendments to RCW 36.70B.080 contained in section 409, chapter 347, Laws of 1995 shall expire July 1, 2000." [ 1998 c 286 § 9; 1995 c 347 § 411.]

Severability—1994 c 257: See note following RCW 36.70A.270.

Development regulations must provide sufficient land capacity for development: RCW 36.70A.115.