Senate committee hears bill to stop HOAs from banning wildfire‑resistant materials
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Summary
Sen. Victoria Hunt introduced SB 6,054 to prevent common interest communities from prohibiting installation or maintenance of fire‑hardened building materials; supporters and property managers backed the goal but several witnesses warned the bill’s 10% cost cap could constrain reasonable community standards.
Sen. Victoria Hunt, sponsor of Senate Bill 6,054, told the Senate Housing Committee Jan. 21 she introduced the bill after constituents reported homeowners associations required shake‑shingle roofs — a material with low wildfire resistance. The bill would amend Washington common interest community statutes to bar governing documents from prohibiting the installation, use, or maintenance of fire‑hardened building materials that meet state and local permitting health and safety requirements.
Committee staff Melissa Van Gorkum summarized the bill’s mechanics: it updates the Washington common condominium and uniform common interest ownership statutes, allows HOAs to adopt reasonable aesthetic rules over materials’ design or placement but not to make use infeasible or increase cost by more than 10%, and voids inconsistent governing‑document provisions in effect as of the act’s effective date. Van Gorkum noted references to national standards including the International Wildland‑Urban Interface Code and NFPA criteria and a role for wildfire preparedness guidance from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety.
In testimony, Hillary Bublitz, who manages a 3,000‑door community in Mill Creek, said she supports the bill’s goal but opposed the bill’s fixed 10% cost threshold. She said modest aesthetic requirements and long‑term maintenance considerations can easily exceed that percentage and urged allowing HOAs to offer an approved menu of fire‑hardened options. Cheryl Grant, a homeowner in Port Townsend, also supported easing use of safer materials but said an arbitrary percentage cap could force communities to accept technically compliant materials that don’t fit neighborhood character or long‑term durability.
Senator Gaynor asked whether HOAs could maintain an approved list of acceptable fire‑hardened materials; Senator Hunt said yes, aesthetic guidelines may remain but should not render the safer materials infeasible, and she said the 10% figure is modeled on another state’s law but she is open to adjustments.
The committee closed public testimony on SB 6,054 and moved on to the next item on the agenda; no formal committee vote on SB 6,054 was recorded during this hearing.
The committee record indicates next procedural steps would follow standard committee scheduling for amendments and potential floor action.