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Committee weighs allowing smaller elevators, differing safety standards to expand small-scale multifamily housing
Summary
Senate Bill 5,156 would require L&I to allow smaller passenger elevators in certain small apartment buildings and to consider global elevator technical standards alongside North American rules, aiming to reduce elevator costs and expand accessible, small-scale multifamily housing.
The House Housing Committee heard Senate Bill 5,156 on March 17. Committee staff summarized the bill and witnesses presented competing technical and safety perspectives.
Serena Dolly told the committee that the state building code requires elevators to meet certain emergency-access and stretcher-size standards. Under the bill, the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) would be required to adopt two new standards: allow passenger and freight elevators to meet either the most current North American (ASME) standards or the current global (ISO) standard; and allow passenger elevators sized no larger than necessary to accommodate a wheelchair in apartment buildings with no more than six stories and 24 units.
Sponsor Senator Solomon said the measure aims to encourage infill and small-scale multifamily housing by making it feasible to install smaller, less costly elevators in single-stair or point-access buildings. "If you're gonna put an elevator into that single stair, it doesn't have to be ... a third of the width of the building," he told the committee, adding that some European countries routinely install smaller elevators in similar buildings.
Proponents argued the existing U.S. elevator market and standards make elevators significantly more expensive than in Western Europe, reducing uptake. Architect Michael Eliason and researcher Steven Smith said permitting smaller elevators and harmonizing standards with global norms could lower costs and increase the number of accessible units. Dan Berdelet of Sightline cited Seattle data showing many small multiunit buildings lack elevators and said allowing smaller elevators could add accessible units.
Unions and industry groups opposed the bill in its current form. Lindsay LaBrasse of International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 19 and Michael Halpin of the international union said the global ISO standard lacks specific safety requirements found in U.S. practice, including features firefighters use during emergencies and requirements for two-way communications. They said mechanics and inspectors in the U.S. are trained to ASME standards, and shifting to ISO would require a large retraining effort. Tom McBride of the National Elevator Industry Association said there is currently no established supply chain of ISO-certified equipment, car sizes required by the bill do not exist in the North American market, and adopting ISO or dual standards could create regulatory confusion and possible safety and accessibility conflicts with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Housing requirements.
Committee members asked for technical comparisons of elevator car sizes, details about first-responder needs and the status of harmonization work between standards bodies. Several members said they want additional written information from unions and industry about their safety concerns and from proponents about space and cost savings. The committee closed the hearing without recording a vote.
