More GMA Changes Anticipated by 2025 Legislature

The 2025 state legislative session is right around the corner, and your APA WA legislative committee is primed and ready to monitor the action and advocate on behalf of the chapter. There are multiple indicators that this could be an eventful session including:

• An estimated operating budget shortfall of $10-$12 billion over the next four years
• A large cohort of new legislators
• A new governor
• And anticipated bills about GMA and local planning

The legislative committee expects several bills that affect planning and local governments. There is word that bills will be introduced that change local planning requirements and authority, and the committee will focus our analysis on these. Expect to see bills that address housing accountability, the Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE), transit-oriented development, parking, affordable housing, building codes, and more. While the first day of session will be January 13, 2025, some bills are filed before the start of session and can be found here.

The legislative committee is APA WA's voice in Olympia and it is important to us to be representative of chapter members. Therefore, we eagerly invite members to join our weekly Friday noon Zoom meetings. Broader participation by members both brings more perspectives to the table and more resources to conduct analysis on bills of interest to the chapter. If you’re interested in joining meetings or have any questions, please email [email protected].