---
type: "Bill"
title: "Advancing the development of renewable energy by improving the permitting process for geothermal resources exploration."
description: "Advancing the development of renewable energy by improving the permitting process for geothermal resources exploration."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2017-2018"
identifier: "SB 5470"
citation: "Washington SB 5470 (2017-2018)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["NATURAL RESOURCES", "DEPARTMENT", "MINES AND MINING", "ENERGY"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Brown"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 29
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2017-01-25"
last_action: "2017-05-08"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/bef743ca-95e1-4abb-81b2-093432d2ebda"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5470&year=2017"
source_hash: "b0c910c8830b4772f1731403a962ff170e38209650d814242e2ca71c72dc2f4f"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-wa"]
---

# Washington SB 5470 (2017-2018) — Advancing the development of renewable energy by improving the permitting process for geothermal resources exploration.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2017-18/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5470.htm)
2. **Engrossed Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2017-18/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5470-S.E.htm)
3. **Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2017-18/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5470-S.htm)

## Votes

- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#34) — **49–0** (pass) · upper
- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#19) — **48–0** (pass) · upper
- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#10) — **98–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Brown — primary (person)
- Becker — cosponsor (person)
- Ericksen — cosponsor (person)
- Hobbs — cosponsor (person)
- Honeyford — cosponsor (person)
- Rivers — cosponsor (person)
- Schoesler — cosponsor (person)
- Takko — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2017-01-25** First reading, referred to Energy, Environment & Telecommunications. `reading-1`
- **2017-02-09** EET - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2017-02-09** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2017-02-10** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2017-02-28** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2017-03-01** 1st substitute bill substituted. `substitution`
- **2017-02-09** EET - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2017-02-09** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2017-02-10** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2017-02-28** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2017-03-01** 1st substitute bill substituted. `substitution`
- **2017-03-01** Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- **2017-03-01** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2017-03-01** Third reading, passed; yeas, 49; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2017-03-03** First reading, referred to Environment (Not Officially read and referred until adoption of Introduction report). `reading-1`
- **2017-03-27** ENVI - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).
- **2017-03-29** Referred to Rules 2 Review.
- **2017-04-07** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2017-04-10** Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.
- **2017-04-10** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2017-04-10** Third reading, passed; yeas, 98; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2017-04-17** Senate concurred in House amendments.
- **2017-04-17** Passed final passage; yeas, 48; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 1. `passage`
- **2017-04-19** President signed. `passage`
- **2017-04-20** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2017-04-21** Delivered to Governor.
- **2017-05-08** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2017-05-08** Chapter 259, 2017 Laws. `became-law`
- **2017-05-08** Effective date 7/23/2017. `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/bef743ca-95e1-4abb-81b2-093432d2ebda`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).