MBI Hails Washington State House Passing ICC/MBI 1200 Standards Adoption Bill, Urges Senate To Follow

With housing a top issue for policymakers across the country, legislators in Washington are taking meaningful steps to increase the supply in the Evergreen State. 

First, we want to applaud the State House of Representatives for their unanimous passage of House Bill 2151, which will tackle one of MBI’s biggest nationwide priorities; adopting the ICC/MBI 1200-series standards. Should the state adopt these standards, modular manufacturers will have one more state with clear, industry-recognized standards for key components of their business. This stable regulatory environment will allow our members to better support the Washington market.  

We want to thank the bill’s sponsors for expanding their initial scope beyond housing to include commercial structures. Not only will this bolster the state’s housing market through the ability to move multifamily buildings through the inspection and approval process quickly, but it will also support the development of other critical infrastructure including educational and medical facilities.  

MBI is proud to have coordinated with Governor Ferguson’s administration through the Department of Labor and Industries and the International Code Council to help craft this important legislation.  

Additionally, lawmakers are considering Senate Bill 6015 which would create a program within the Department of Commerce to maintain a set of preapproved permit-ready residential building plans for factory-built housing units, to include: single-family detached, detached accessory dwelling units, and 2-8 unit -plexes, in certain specified configurations. The bill also calls for the Department to “develop and publish model ordinances that may be readily adopted by a local government in order streamline local implementation” of the permit-ready plans.  

Taken together, this ambitious policy package to remove obstacles in the pre-build phase of construction has the potential to supercharge the modular industry in Washington, increase the housing supply, and reduce costs.  

MBI strongly urges the legislature to get these bills over the finish line, and for Governor Ferguson to swiftly add his signature so we can get to work.