The Washington State Building Code Council voted on Jan. 24 to adopt emergency amendments to the Washington State Mechanical Code to align the code with recent ASHRAE 15 and ASHRAE 34 changes addressing A2L refrigerants.

The council first voted by the required supermajority that an emergency basis existed, then approved filing an emergency rule to provide immediate, statewide guidance while permanent rulemaking proceeds. Council members and contractors told the council the guidance is needed now to reduce permitting delays and clarify how jurisdictions should evaluate systems that use low‑global‑warming refrigerants.

Why it matters: Manufacturers and building designers have said the refrigerant market and related safety standards have changed rapidly. Several meeting speakers said jurisdictions were receiving different interpretations, and that inconsistency was increasing project cost and permitting time. Staff and outside proponents told the council the emergency rule is intended to synchronize state code enforcement with the latest technical safety standards.

What the rule does: The emergency amendments point jurisdictions to the most recent ASHRAE guidance on applying chapter 11 of the mechanical code alongside ASHRAE 15 and ASHRAE 34 updates, clarifying how to analyze machinery rooms, occupancy thresholds, and allowable equipment configurations when A2L refrigerants are used.

Proponent and technical context: Proponent Eric Vandermeer of Delta E Consulting told the council the updates reflect many addenda to ASHRAE 15 and ASHRAE 34 that have accumulated since the 2019/2022 editions and that designers and code officials need consistent direction now. He said the changes are intended to minimize conflicts between the International Mechanical Code provisions and the ASHRAE standards.

Process and next steps: The emergency rule takes immediate effect for the period allowed under state law. Staff advised the council that emergency adoption will be followed by the normal public rulemaking steps (CR-102/CR-103 filings) so the language can be finalized with public comment and possible edits.

Council reaction and rationale: Multiple council members and industry groups supported the emergency finding and adoption, noting both safety and permitting efficiency concerns. Fire officials and some local code officials asked for careful wording and the chance to review language; proponents said a short emergency period followed by open rulemaking would allow for that input.

Ending: Council staff will post the emergency rule language and the timeline for the subsequent permanent rulemaking on the Building Code Council web pages and begin coordinating follow‑up briefings for code officials across the state.