Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official page posted by the Washington Legislature, fetched 2026-08-29. This is the chaptered version. The official bill page.
CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2296 Chapter 136, Laws of 2026 69TH LEGISLATURE 2026 REGULAR SESSION UTILITY INVESTMENTS IN ENERGY CONSERVATION AND EFFICIENCY—RENTAL HOUSING EFFECTIVE DATE: June 11, 2026 Passed by the House March 11, 2026 Yeas 95 Nays 1 LAURIE JINKINS Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate March 6, 2026 Yeas 45 Nays 3 DENNY HECK President of the Senate CERTIFICATE I, Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2296 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. BERNARD DEAN Chief Clerk Chief Clerk Approved March 23, 2026 10:26 AM FILED March 23, 2026 BOB FERGUSON Governor of the State of Washington Secretary of State State of Washington SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2296 AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE Passed Legislature - 2026 Regular Session State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session By House Environment & Energy (originally sponsored by Representatives Hall, Callan, Reed, Leavitt, Ramel, Fitzgibbon, Parshley, Zahn, Duerr, Doglio, Gregerson, Stearns, and Pollet) READ FIRST TIME 02/04/26. AN ACT Relating to expanding the use of distributed energy resources; and adding a new section to chapter 80.28 RCW. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON: NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 80.28 RCW to read as follows: (1) The commission must allow an electrical or natural gas company to invest in programs that achieve energy conservation and improve the efficiency of energy end use of single-family and multifamily rental housing in lieu of requiring a contribution from the premises owner to finance measures that would be cost-effective in the aggregate. The commission may allow the company to earn a return on cost-effective investments made under this section over a duration of time that reduces the customer's energy burden and minimizes the investment's impact on the customer's bill while providing a return on equity that incentivizes the company to make such an investment. (2) The electrical or natural gas company shall prioritize investments made under this section on single-family and multifamily rental housing to reduce the energy burden of low-income customers, vulnerable populations, and customers in highly impacted communities while meeting the customer's comfort and productivity needs. (3) Investments made under this section must be secured through the meter and recovered through the regular billing paid by the tenant, including any successor tenant, or owner of the premises. If the bill is paid by the premises' owner, the company's investment must be recovered pursuant to a site-specific services agreement. The investment must be recovered as any other energy charge, including being subject to collection, until the authorized return on the investment has been fully recovered. An investment made under this section must be designated as an "energy savings charge" as a line item on the regular customer billing. (4) The electrical or natural gas company shall provide the premises owner sufficient information for the owner to provide a tenant who is responsible for paying the electric or gas bill as required under this subsection. At least 30 days prior to the commencement of work to install conservation measures at the premises, the premises owner shall notify a tenant of the owner's authorization for an electrical or gas company to install conservation measures at the premises inhabited by the tenant under a financial arrangement provided under this section. The notice must include a description of the work to be performed and the expected benefits of the conservation measures. (5) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise. (a) "Cost-effective" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 80.52.030. (b) "Energy burden" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 19.405.020. (c) "Highly impacted community" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 19.405.020. (d) "Low-income" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 19.405.020. (e) "Vulnerable populations" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 19.405.020. Passed by the House March 11, 2026. Passed by the Senate March 6, 2026. Approved by the Governor March 23, 2026. Filed in Office of Secretary of State March 23, 2026.
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