HB 2388 Washington House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Concerning the siting of distributed energy generation resources on agricultural lands.

HB 2388 allows solar and small-scale wind energy projects to be built on agricultural lands without disrupting farming operations. It specifically defines "agrivoltaic facilities" (solar panels paired with crop production or grazing) and "pivot corner facilities" (solar next to irrigated fields) as acceptable uses, requiring projects to maintain soil productivity, allow farm machinery access, and not degrade land after decommissioning. The bill amends zoning laws to permit these projects on farmland while requiring counties to prioritize agricultural use and limit nonfarm development on suitable land. It directly affects farmers, landowners, and energy developers by creating clear rules for coexisting energy and agriculture.

Issues: ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 9, 2026 Last action Feb 19, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill → Substitute Bill · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was renumbered from HB 2388 to Substitute House Bill 2388 and updated with new legislative session dates. The substantive policy text regarding distributed energy priorities on agricultural lands remains identical to the original version, with no changes to eligibility, definitions, or requirements.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability are unchanged; it continues to regulate the siting of solar, wind, and storage facilities on agricultural lands in Washington State.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was updated from HB 2388 to SHB 2388, and the sponsor list was changed from individual representatives to the House Local Government committee.

The pre-filed and first reading dates were updated from January 2026 to February 2026 to reflect the new legislative timeline.

The bill title was shortened by removing the reference to amending RCW 36.70A.177 and 36.70A.060, although the body text of those sections remains present in the substitute version.

The formatting was converted from a standard diff format to a multi-page document layout with page numbers and line numbering.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 3, 2026

Committee

Referred to Rules 2 Review.

lower

Jan 30, 2026

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Local Government at 10:30 AM.

lower

Jan 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

Executive session scheduled, but no action was taken in the House Committee on Local Government at 10:30 AM.

lower

Jan 20, 2026

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Local Government at 10:30 AM.

lower

1 primary · 8 co-sponsors