Committee advances bill removing tenant-contact list requirement in mobile-home park sales

Chair Representative Peterson opened the March 24 Housing Committee briefing and said the panel would consider three bills, starting with Senate Bill 5,298. The committee reported the bill out with a due-pass recommendation as amended.

Senate Bill 5,298 would modify requirements for an owner of a mobile-home park to provide a written notice of an opportunity to purchase to tenants when selling the community. Serena Dolly, staff to the committee, briefed members that an amendment, SCRE 2 18, removes the requirement that the notice delivered to the Department of Commerce include a list of current tenants with contact information.

Vice Chair Harrell moved SCRE 2 18 for adoption, and said the ongoing obligation to compile and report tenant contact lists would be onerous for both the Department of Commerce and manufactured-housing community owners and that the amendment “simplifies the process a little bit more.” Representative Connors voiced support, noting the change could address privacy concerns for residents of manufactured housing communities.

The committee adopted SCRE 2 18 by voice vote, then moved to incorporate the adopted amendment into a striking amendment and to report the engrossed substitute bill out of committee with a due-pass recommendation. The clerk announced the final tally for the bill: 16 ayes, 1 excused, 0 absent. By that vote, substitute Senate Bill 5,298 was reported out of committee as amended.

The action moves the bill to the next legislative stage; the committee did not direct additional staff work or request follow-up reports on this bill during the meeting.