Legislative Committee Update – Reviewing the Code

The Department of Commerce initiated the first sweeping update to its chapters of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) since 2010. The APA Washington Legislative Committee has formed a subcommittee to review proposed amendments as they are released. This WAC update project will result in revisions to the following chapters:

• Chapter 365-196 WAC, Procedural Criteria for Adopting Comprehensive Plans and Development Regulations
• Chapter 365-190 WAC, Minimum Guidelines to Classify Agricultural, Forest and Mineral Lands and Critical Areas
• Chapter 365-195 WAC, Best Available Science

Revisions will be based on recent planning-related legislation and the evolution case law; opportunities to clarify the rules are also being solicited. The APA Legislative Committee is preparing a comment letter for submittal before the Department's January 2022 deadline. If you are interested in joining the effort to review the draft WACs, please contact [email protected].