Washington 2021-2022 Regular Session Status: Passed Senate 2 D cosponsors

SB 5923 — Concerning temporary emergency shelters.

Last action — Senate Rules "X" file.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 2021-2022 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there are no live odds of enactment. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

173 added · 36 removed

Plain-language change summary

In the latest version of Bill SB 5923, the focus has shifted to requiring cities to create rules for temporary emergency shelter communities, instead of allowing them to waive building codes for such shelters. Specifically, cities must now permit applications for land use from agencies looking to establish these shelters and must have plans detailing the necessary infrastructure and conduct rules for residents. This change is significant because it sets clearer guidelines for how temporary shelters will be organized and maintained, ensuring that they are better equipped to support people experiencing homelessness.

→
Previous
Latest
S-4196.2 SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5923 State of Washington 67th Legislature 2022 Regular Session By Senate Housing & Local Government (originally sponsored by Senators Robinson and Nguyen) READ FIRST TIME 02/03/22.
S-3705.1 SENATE BILL 5923 State of Washington 67th Legislature 2022 Regular Session By Senators Robinson and Nguyen Read first time 01/21/22.
AN ACT Relating to temporary shelters for persons experiencing homelessness;
Referred to Committee on Housing & Local Government.
AN ACT Relating to temporary emergency shelters;
amending RCW 19.27.042;
and adding a new section to chapter 36.70A RCW.
and adding a new section to chapter 36.01 RCW.
A city is not required to adopt or enforce, or may waive, any state or local building codes applicable to temporary shelters.
(1) A city may adopt an ordinance or take any other action to regulate the creation of temporary emergency shelter communities.
For purposes of this section, "temporary shelter" means a use sited in a new or existing structure or modular structure that provides temporary sleeping and shelter accommodations for persons experiencing homelessness;
(2) If a city adopts an ordinance or takes any other action to regulate the creation of temporary emergency shelter communities, the city must allow a sponsor or managing agency to apply for a land use permit application to provide the temporary emergency shelters and basic services and support for residents of the temporary emergency shelter community.
such use may include common areas for food preparation, showers, or other commonly used facilities.
(3) Upon filing the land use permit application for a temporary emergency shelter community, the sponsor or managing agency must prepare and file a temporary emergency shelter community responsibility plan.
The plan must identify both the physical and social infrastructure needed to support the temporary emergency shelter community, as well as include an enforceable code of conduct p.
1 SB 5923 and provisions addressing access to safe parking, public transportation, food assistance, community resources, site inspections, utility connections, and public safety and emergency services.
(4) A city may terminate any agreement with a sponsor or managing agency if the temporary emergency shelter community poses serious and documented threats to the health and well-being of the surrounding community.
If the city terminates the agreement, the sponsor or managing agency must address each documented concern before resubmitting an application for a temporary emergency shelter community within the city.
(5) This section does not apply to the hosting of the homeless on property owned or controlled by a religious organization as authorized under RCW 35.21.915.
(6) For purposes of this section:
(a) "Managing agency" means an organization that has the capacity to organize and manage a temporary emergency shelter community, and may be the same entity as the sponsor.
(b) "Sponsor" means a nonprofit or other local community-based organization that has an agreement with the managing agency to provide basic services and support for the residents of a temporary emergency shelter community, such as food and sanitation, and liaison with the surrounding community and joins with the managing agency in an application for a temporary use permit.
A sponsor may be the same entity as the managing agency.
(c) "Temporary emergency shelter" means a shelter not affixed to land and not using underground utilities, built in accordance with the state building code, and providing temporary housing accommodations for persons experiencing homelessness or for persons experiencing domestic violence.
A code city is not required to adopt or enforce, or may waive, any state or local building codes applicable to temporary shelters.
(1) A code city may adopt an ordinance or take any other action to regulate the creation of temporary emergency shelter communities.
For purposes of this section, "temporary shelter" means a use sited in a new or existing structure or modular structure that provides p.
(2) If a code city adopts an ordinance or takes any other action to regulate the creation of temporary emergency shelter communities, the code city must allow a sponsor or managing agency to apply for a land use permit application to provide the temporary emergency p.
1 SSB 5923 temporary sleeping and shelter accommodations for persons experiencing homelessness;
2 SB 5923 shelters and basic services and support for residents of the temporary emergency shelter community.
such use may include common areas for food preparation, showers, or other commonly used facilities.
(3) Upon filing the land use permit application for a temporary emergency shelter community, the sponsor or managing agency must prepare and file a temporary emergency shelter community responsibility plan.
NEW SECTION.
The plan must identify both the physical and social infrastructure needed to support the temporary emergency shelter community, as well as include an enforceable code of conduct and provisions addressing access to safe parking, public transportation, food assistance, community resources, site inspections, utility connections, and public safety and emergency services.
(4) A code city may terminate any agreement with a sponsor or managing agency if the temporary emergency shelter community poses serious and documented threats to the health and well-being of the surrounding community.
If the code city terminates the agreement, the sponsor or managing agency must address each documented concern before resubmitting an application for a temporary emergency shelter community within the code city.
(5) This section does not apply to the hosting of the homeless on property owned or controlled by a religious organization as authorized under RCW 35.21.915.
(6) For purposes of this section:
(a) "Managing agency" means an organization that has the capacity to organize and manage a temporary emergency shelter community, and may be the same entity as the sponsor.
(b) "Sponsor" means a nonprofit or other local community-based organization that has an agreement with the managing agency to provide basic services and support for the residents of a temporary emergency shelter community, such as food and sanitation, and liaison with the surrounding community and joins with the managing agency in an application for a temporary use permit.
A sponsor may be the same entity as the managing agency.
(c) "Temporary emergency shelter" means a shelter not affixed to land and not using underground utilities, built in accordance with the state building code, and providing temporary housing accommodations for persons experiencing homelessness or for persons experiencing domestic violence.
p.
3 SB 5923 NEW SECTION.
A new section is added to chapter 36.70A RCW to read as follows:
A new section is added to chapter 36.01 RCW to read as follows:
A county is not required to adopt or enforce, or may waive, any state or local building codes applicable to temporary shelters within an urban growth area.
(1) A county may adopt an ordinance or take any other action to regulate the creation of temporary emergency shelter communities.
For purposes of this section, "temporary shelter" means a use sited in a new or existing structure or modular structure that provides temporary sleeping and shelter accommodations for persons experiencing homelessness;
(2) If a county adopts an ordinance or takes any other action to regulate the creation of temporary emergency shelter communities, the county must allow a sponsor or managing agency to apply for a land use permit application to provide the temporary emergency shelters and basic services and support for residents of the temporary emergency shelter community.
such use may include common areas for food preparation, showers, or other commonly used facilities.
(3) Upon filing the land use permit application for a temporary emergency shelter community, the sponsor or managing agency must prepare and file a temporary emergency shelter community responsibility plan.
The plan must identify both the physical and social infrastructure needed to support the temporary emergency shelter community, as well as include an enforceable code of conduct and provisions addressing access to safe parking, public transportation, food assistance, community resources, site inspections, utility connections, and public safety and emergency services.
(4) A county may terminate any agreement with a sponsor or managing agency if the temporary emergency shelter community poses serious and documented threats to the health and well-being of the surrounding community.
If the county terminates the agreement, the sponsor or managing agency must address each documented concern before resubmitting an application for a temporary emergency shelter community within the county.
Show all 60 changed rows (20 more)
Previous
Latest
(5) This section does not apply to the hosting of the homeless on property owned or controlled by a religious organization as authorized under RCW 35.21.915.
(6) For purposes of this section:
(a) "Managing agency" means an organization that has the capacity to organize and manage a temporary emergency shelter community, and may be the same entity as the sponsor.
(b) "Sponsor" means a nonprofit or other local community-based organization that has an agreement with the managing agency to provide basic services and support for the residents of a temporary emergency shelter community, such as food and sanitation, and liaison with the surrounding community and joins with the managing agency in p.
4 SB 5923 an application for a temporary use permit.
A sponsor may be the same entity as the managing agency.
(c) "Temporary emergency shelter" means a shelter not affixed to land and not using underground utilities, built in accordance with the state building code, and providing temporary housing accommodations for persons experiencing homelessness or for persons experiencing domestic violence.
Sec.
4.
RCW 19.27.042 and 1991 c 139 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) Effective January 1, 1992, the legislative authorities of cities and counties may adopt an ordinance or resolution to exempt from state building code requirements buildings whose character of use or occupancy has been changed in order to provide housing for indigent persons.
The ordinance or resolution allowing the exemption shall include the following conditions:
(a) The exemption is limited to existing buildings located in this state;
(b) Any code deficiencies to be exempted pose no threat to human life, health, or safety;
(c) The building or buildings exempted under this section are owned or administered by a public agency or nonprofit corporation;
and (d) The exemption is authorized for no more than five years on any given building.
An exemption for a building may be renewed if the requirements of this section are met for each renewal.
(2) By January 1, 1992, the state building code council shall adopt, by rule, guidelines for cities and counties exempting buildings under subsection (1) of this section.
(3) By July 1, 2024, the state building code council shall adopt, by rule, standards for temporary emergency shelters and make them available for local adoption.
2 SSB 5923
5 SB 5923
⬇ Download PDF
View plain text versions (2)

Action History

  1. Senate Rules "X" file.

  2. Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.

  3. Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Housing & Local Government at 08:00 AM

  4. Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.

  5. Minority; without recommendation.

  6. HLG - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.

  7. Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Housing & Local Government at 8:00 AM.

  8. Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Housing & Local Government at 10:30 AM

  9. Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Housing & Local Government at 10:30 AM.

  10. First reading, referred to Housing & Local Government.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 149 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (1)

Not signed on (149)

149 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 149 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety housing
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 5923?
SB 5923 is sponsored by Joe Nguyen (Democrat) and June Robinson (Democrat).
What is the current status of SB 5923?
This bill died with 2021-2022 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track SB 5923?
Track SB 5923 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on SB 5923

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of SB 5923

Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →