Manjarrez bill to streamline factory home inspections clears policy committee
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Manjarrez bill to streamline factory home inspections clears policy committee
A bill from Rep. Deb Manjarrez that would help streamline factory-home inspections has cleared its first hurdle in becoming law.
On Friday, the House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee voted House Bill 2151 out of committee. The legislation would align Washington state’s laws governing manufactured and factory-built housing with national standards.
“The word I heard most from my constituents this year was ‘affordability’ and the lack of it in Washington state, as our state is one of the most expensive in the country to live in. With that, as I work on issues or policy, I am taking an approach of how to make this process or issue more affordable,” said Manjarrez. R-Wapato. “Factory-built homes are becoming more common. By aligning state laws with national standards, this could lower prices, faster inspection and construction timelines, and fewer bureaucratic delays.”
House Bill 2151 would require the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) to consider certain national standards from the International Code Council when adopting rules for factory-built housing and commercial structures. It would give the department more flexibility and allow it to establish options for factory inspections of those structures to be conducted by qualified inspection agencies.
The bill also includes an exemption for utility-owned, non-occupied enclosures used for energy and electrical infrastructure, allowing the department to focus its resources on residential and commercial housing inspections.
L&I testified in favor of the bill during the public hearing.
“It would push Washington away from outdated rules and toward a more uniform national standard. It should speed up the approval process without lowering standards,” said Manjarrez. “The homebuyers would benefit from the faster approval process and lower prices, but this will also benefit the manufacturers with streamlined standards in multiple states, more predictability in the inspection process and faster plan approvals with the streamlined standards.”
The legislation does not change zoning laws or reduce safety standards.
Manjarrez is hopeful the bill will continue to move through the legislative process, citing its bipartisan support. The governor also highlighted the bill during his State of the State Address, noting it “will create more affordable housing by making it easier for premade modular housing to meet building standards.”
The Legislature is scheduled to adjourn on March 12.
