The bill adds a new section to chapter 19.27 RCW requiring the State Building Code Council to convene a technical advisory group to recommend amendments to the International Building Code to allow "scissor stairs" to serve occupancies that contain sleeping units of more than two dwelling units in which the occupants are primarily permanent in nature. The advisory group's recommendations must consider public health, safety, and welfare as well as construction costs, and must be provided in time for the council to adopt or amend rules and codes for implementation in the 2027 state building code update. The provision is temporary and expires January 1, 2031. "Scissor stairs" is defined in the new section as two interlocking stairways with two separate exits that are separately enclosed and divided by fire-resistance rated assemblies. This is a procedural change that creates a new statutory requirement for rulemaking and advice; it does not create a new crime or change penalties. The bill was first read January 27, 2026, passed the House February 10, 2026 (95-0), and passed the Senate February 26, 2026 (48-0). The text does not specify the advisory group's membership, appointment authority, meeting timelines, specific submission deadline for the 2027 update, funding or staffing, the exact RCW section number assigned, or the Secretary of State filing date.

If enacted, the state building code council will be required to form a technical advisory group to study and recommend changes to the International Building Code so that interlocking "scissor stairs" could be allowed to serve residential occupancies with more than two sleeping units where occupants are mainly permanent. Practically, this creates a near-term work task for the council and its appointees and could lead to a new option for developers and owners of multiunit housing to use scissor stairs starting with the 2027 code update, which may lower construction costs for some projects but could also change building safety tradeoffs depending on the group's findings. The provision directly affects the State Building Code Council (which must convene the group), the advisory group members, and owners/developers of applicable residential buildings; it does not specify membership, funding, administrative support, or the exact recommendation deadline, so those details and any resulting costs or staffing needs are uncertain. The added section sunsets January 1, 2031, so any rule changes or practices stemming from this effort would be tied to that temporary statutory directive.