Requires certain regional transportation planning organizations (RTPOs) to include goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled in their regional plans.

Summary of Substitute Bill:

The Plans of certain RTPOs are required to provide for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled (VMTs). Applies to RTPOs that contain a county or counties meeting one or more of the following criteria in RCW
36.70A.095, which establishes certain planning requirements under the Growth Management Act (GMA), on or after April 1, 2021:
-a county with a population density of at least 100 people per square mile and a population of at least 200,000;

-a county bordering the Columbia and Snake Rivers with a population density of at least 75 people per square mile and an annual growth rate of at least 1.65 percent; or

-a county located to the west of the crest of the Cascade Mountains with a population of at least 130,000.

-The requirement currently applies to Benton, Clark, King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, Skagit, Thurston, Whatcom, and potentially Franklin counties.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:
As compared to the original bill, the substitute bill removes the criteria for determining which RTPOs must provide for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and VMTs in their
Plans, and replaces them with the following criteria in RCW 36.70A.095, which are identical except for the addition of the timeframe, of on or after April 1, 2021, for the application of the criteria: a county with a population density of at least 100 people per square mile and a population of at least 200,000;

� a county bordering the Columbia and Snake Rivers with a population density of at
least 75 people per square mile and an annual growth rate of at least 1.65 percent; or

� a county located to the west of the crest of the Cascade Mountains with a population
of at least 130,000.

� The substitute bill also establishes that if a county is included in two RTPOs, the inclusion of reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and VMTs in a regional transportation plan only
applies to the RTPO with the larger population

Dead.

12/11/2025 Pre-filed for introduction.
01/12/2026 First reading. Referred to House Committee on Transportation.
01/19/2026 Hearing in House Committee on Transportation.
01/28/2026 House Committee on Transportation passed as substitute.
01/30/2026 Referred to House Committee on Rules.
02/06/2026 House Committee on Rules relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading in House.
02/19/2026 Returned to Rules Committee for second reading. 02/19/2026 To House Rules "X" file.
03/12/2026 Died upon adjournment.