(1) The legislature finds that the health and safety of its citizens, natural resources, and the environment are vital interests of the state that must be protected to preserve the state's quality of life. The legislature also finds that the state's economic well-being is a vital interest that depends upon the development of fair, accessible, and coordinated permitting and regulatory requirements that ensure that the state not only protects public health and safety and natural resources but also encourages appropriate activities that stimulate growth and development. The legislature further finds that Washington's permitting and regulatory programs have established strict standards to protect public health and safety and the environment.

     (2) The legislature also finds that, as the number of environmental and land use laws and requirements have grown in Washington, so have the number of permits required of business and government. The increasing number of permits and permitting agencies has generated the potential for conflict, overlap, and duplication among state, local, and federal permitting and regulatory requirements.

     (3) The legislature further finds that not all project proponents require the same type of assistance. Proponents with small projects may merely need information and assistance in starting the permitting and application process, while intermediate-sized projects may require more of a facilitated and periodically assisted permitting process, and large complex projects may need extensive and more continuous coordination among local, state, and federal agencies and tribal governments.

     (4) The legislature further finds that persons doing business in Washington state should have access to clear and appropriate information regarding regulations, permit requirements, and agency rule-making processes.

     (5) The legislature, therefore, finds that a range of assistance and coordination options should be available to project proponents from a state office independent of any local, state, or federal permit agency. The legislature finds that citizens, businesses, and project proponents should be provided with:

     (a) A reliable and consolidated source of information concerning federal, state, and local environmental and land use laws and procedures that may apply to any given project;

     (b) Facilitated interagency forums for discussion of significant issues related to the multiple permitting processes if needed for some project proponents; and

     (c) Active coordination of all applicable regulatory and land use permitting procedures if needed for some project proponents.

     (6) The legislature declares that the purpose of this chapter is to:

     (a) Assure that citizens, businesses, and project proponents will continue to be provided with vital information regarding environmental and land use laws and with assistance in complying with environmental and land use laws to promote understanding of these laws and to protect public health and safety and the environment;

     (b) Ensure that facilitation of project permit decisions by permit agencies promotes both process efficiency and environmental protection;

     (c) Allow for coordination of permit processing for large projects upon project proponents' request and at project proponents' expense to promote efficiency, ensure certainty, and avoid conflicts among permit agencies; and

     (d) Provide these services through an office independent of any permit agency to ensure that any potential or perceived conflicts of interest related to providing these services or making permit decisions can be avoided.

     (7) The legislature also declares that the purpose of this chapter is to provide citizens of the state with access to information regarding state regulations, permit requirements, and agency rule-making processes in Washington state.

     (8) The legislature intends that establishing an office of regulatory assistance will provide these services without abrogating or limiting the authority of any agency to make decisions on permits and regulatory requirements that it requires or any rule-making agency to make decisions on regulations. The legislature therefore declares that the office of regulatory assistance shall have authority to provide these services but shall not have any authority to make decisions on permits.

[2007 c 94 § 1; 2003 c 71 § 1; 2002 c 153 § 1.]

NOTES:

     Reviser's note -- Sunset Act application: The office of regulatory assistance is subject to review, termination, and possible extension under chapter 43.131 RCW, the Sunset Act. See RCW 43.131.401. RCW 43.42.005 through 43.42.070, 43.42.900, and43.42.901 are scheduled for future repeal under RCW 43.131.402.

     Effective date -- 2003 c 71 § 2: "Section 2 of this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately [April 18, 2003]." [2003 c 71 § 7.]