Legislative Resources

2025 STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND PRIORITIES

The 2025 Legislative Session will begin Monday, January 13, 2025, and will run for 105 days.  The Washington State Association of Fire Marshals Legislative Committee has proposed draft priorities for the 2025 session and is requesting feedback and additional proposals from our membership.  Our legislative committee will meet weekly on Mondays at 8:30am during session.  Please email karen.grove@seattle.gov if you would like to comment on the draft priorities or participate in the legislative committee.  

WSAFM DRAFT Priorities for the 2025 Session (download here)

Fire Code Safety, Housing Availability and Affordability

• Retain essential fire and life safety requirements in new housing options that address the housing crisis and housing shortages.
• Support flexible and affordable code options through the consensus code process.
• All people deserve basic fire safety protections where they live and sleep.

Wildland Fire Mitigation and Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)

• Support funding for education and grants for property owners regarding the international WUI code including defensible space/firewise vegetation.  (2024 HB 2330)
• Support transparency and data-based wildfire risk and mitigation scores to help ensure Washington residents can obtain and maintain affordable insurance coverage. (2024 HB 2330)
• Create grant navigator for local AHJs regarding DNR, FEMA, SAFER, USFA for local gvts for wildland risk mitigation, sustainability and infrastructure protection, and implementation of the WUI code.

Sprinkler and Suppression Codes

• Support clarification of qualifications required for personnel who install and maintain new suppression technologies. Support alignment of L&I prevailing wage and 18.160, 18.270 scope. 
• Support code modifications that make it affordable to implement sprinklers in townhomes.
• Support efforts to provide upsized water meters at the same cost as a regular meter for fire suppression systems to remove a financial barrier.
• Explore density bonus for voluntary installation of sprinklers systems in buildings

State Fire Marshal’s Office / Fire Services Delivery

• Ensure WSAFM is a voting member on the Fire Services Delivery policy board, to provide the essential voice for fire code, enforcement, fire prevention and community risk reduction.
• Strengthen the State Fire Marshal’s Office by ensuring sufficient funding and connection to fire

Fire Code Safety in Other Directly Legislated Proposals

• o   Provide opinions on directly legislated proposals that modify the fire code. 
• o   Encourage routing through the State Building Code Council instead of directly legislating these highly technical items.
• o   Support flexible and affordable code options through the consensus code process.
• o   Defend existing codes that provide standards of life safety in buildings, including requirements for fire sprinklers, fire department access, and water supplies.

2024 STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND PRIORITIES

The Washington State Association of Fire Marshals Legislative Committee established priorities for the 2024 session based on feedback from our membership.  

2024 Session - Legislative Weekly Status Report

Jan 8   Jan 12   Jan 19   Jan 26   Feb 2   Feb 9   Feb 16  Feb 23  Mar 1

WSAFM Priorities for the 2024 Session (see this document for more details)

• Fire Code Safety, Housing Availability and Affordability
• Fire Code Safety in Directly Legislated Proposals
• State Fire Marshal’s Office / Fire Services Delivery
• Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)
• Safety, Training and Education Related to New Energy Technologies (EV/ESS)
• Smoke Control Installation, Testing, and Enforcement

2023 STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND PRIORITIES

Legislative Weekly Status Report 2023

Jan 6    Jan 13   Jan 20    Jan 27   Feb 3  Feb 27  Mar 3  Mar 10  Mar 17  Mar 24  Apr 14

2023 Legislative Session and Priorities

The Washington State Association of Fire Marshals Legislative Committee established our "Top 5 Priorities" for the 2023 session, which were assembled by the Legislative Committee based on membership feedback.  

Fire Code Safety, Housing Availability and Affordability

• Support inclusion of fire and life safety measures in new housing options that address the housing crisis and housing shortages.
• All residents are entitled to the basic life safety standards where they live and sleep.

Fire Code Safety in Directly Legislated Proposals

• Review and provide opinions on directly legislated proposals that modify the fire code.  Encourage review through State Building Code Council instead of direct legislation for these highly technical proposals.
• Defend existing codes that provide standards of life safety in buildings, including requirements for fire sprinklers, fire department access, and water supplies.

Safety, Training and Education Related to New Energy Technologies

• The problem: Billions of dollars of investments are changing the energy infrastructure, making it greener, more mobile, and presenting new hazards to fire fighters and the public.
• Support funding for firefighter training and required safety equipment.
• Support funding for small and rural agencies to track these systems, update codes and standards, and provide public education about the dangers.
• Support expedited code development for Washington, responsive to rapid changes in technology.
• Fund required studies of environmental impact from lithium-ion explosions and fires (air quality) and drainage/water from fire suppression.

Smoke Control Installation, Testing, and Enforcement

• Support changes to RCW 19.27.700-740 to align with national codes and standards regarding the installation and ongoing operation of life safety systems known as “smoke control systems” in large buildings.

State Fire Marshal’s Office Program Delivery

• Support changes to RCW 43.43.934 to enable rules to be developed for the delivery of basic firefighter training through the Regional Direct Delivery Program.
• Support updates to the Basic Firefighter Reimbursement Program to provide better support for Firefighter Training.