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Backgrowd <br />Although current law does not clearly define what actions count toward the 120- <br />day timeline, changes to state law that will go into effect in 2025 support local <br />governments' interpretation that it excludes time waiting for applicants to respond <br />with corrections or additional information. The 120-day requirement currently <br />applies to building permits and land use permits such as subdivisions, planned <br />unit developments, conditional uses and site plan reviews. For our analysis, we also <br />distinguished a third category of permits: "civil permits, such as those for grading <br />and utilities. These permits are typically processed by a separate set of people, often <br />with specialized skills and often in a separate department from building inspectors <br />and land use planners. Civil permits are included in the state building code with <br />other building permits, although the state code does not use that exact term. <br />State law requires certaii{ local governments <br />to publicly report on how long it takes to <br />process pprr-litc <br />Counties required <br />Aside from compliance with the 120-day permit -approval window, state law also <br />to report on permit <br />requires about 50 cities and counties to publish annual reports on the timeliness of <br />review timeliness <br />their permit reviews. This requirement applies to all counties west of the Cascades <br />Clark <br />with populations greater than 150,000 as of 1996, and all cities within those counties <br />King <br />with populations of at least 20,000. Counties covered by this requirement are listed <br />in the sidebar; Appendix B lists the affected cities. <br />Kitsap <br />State law specifies the content of these reports. Required data includes the average <br />Pierce <br />number of days for permit review, the number of permits that did and did not meet <br />0 Snohomish <br />the 120-day deadline, and the number of permits with deadline extensions. <br />• Thurston <br />• Whatcom <br />Revised state I a w will change review timelines <br />0 County included <br />and requirements for permit performance reports <br />in this audit <br />starting in 2025 <br />Legislation passed during 2023 will change the key requirements we assessed in <br />the audit. Its provisions go into effect in 2025. First, it changes the deadlines for <br />how quickly local governments must process permits. Second, it changes the data <br />that certain governments must report about their permit review performance; the <br />Department of Commerce will have a new role in this process. <br />Growth Management Act - Background 19 <br />