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SB 5748

Incentivizing the substantial reduction or elimination of impact fees.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Keith Goehner and 6 co-sponsors

SB 5748 incentivizes Washington municipalities to reduce/eliminate development impact fees, lowering development costs but potentially shifting infrastructure funding burdens to taxpayers or state resources.

Executive session scheduled, but no action was taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.
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Bill Summary · SB 5748

Legislative bill overview

SB 5748 would create incentive mechanisms for local governments in Washington to reduce or eliminate impact fees—charges developers pay to offset infrastructure costs from new development. The bill aims to make housing and development more affordable by lowering these upfront costs that typically get passed to consumers.

Why is this important

Impact fees are a significant cost component in residential and commercial development, directly influencing housing affordability and development feasibility. Reducing these fees could accelerate housing supply and lower project costs, though it would shift infrastructure funding burdens to local governments or other revenue sources, potentially affecting public services or tax bases in developing communities.

Potential points of contention

  • Infrastructure funding gap: Eliminating impact fees reduces dedicated revenue for roads, schools, utilities, and other infrastructure that new development requires, potentially shifting costs to existing taxpayers or creating infrastructure deficits
  • Equity concerns: Communities with lower tax bases may struggle more to replace lost impact fee revenue, creating unequal service quality across regions or incentivizing development in wealthier areas
  • Incentive design questions: The bill's specific incentive structure is unclear from current information—whether it offers state funding, tax credits, or other mechanisms to offset local revenue loss and ensure infrastructure adequacy

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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