Wash. Rev. Code § 49.60 § 49.60.226
Cooperative agreements between units of government for processing complaints.
Operative Text
The commission and units of local government administering ordinances with provisions similar to the real estate provisions of the law against discrimination are authorized and directed to enter into cooperative agreements or arrangements for receiving and processing complaints so that duplication of functions shall be minimized and multiple hearings avoided. No complainant may secure relief from more than one instrumentality of state, or local government, nor shall any relief be granted by any state or local instrumentality if relief has been granted or proceedings are continuing in any federal agency, court, or instrumentality, unless such proceedings have been deferred pending state action.
Washington Revised Code § 49.60.226 establishes a coordination framework between the Washington State Human Rights Commission and local government bodies that enforce anti-discrimination rules in housing and real estate. The provision directs these agencies to enter into cooperative agreements so that the same complaint is not processed redundantly by multiple bodies. Critically, it caps relief at one governmental source: a complainant cannot receive remedies from more than one state or local agency, and no state or local remedy may be granted if a federal proceeding on the same matter is already underway or has already produced relief, unless that federal proceeding has been paused to allow state action to proceed first.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 49.60.226, the interagency coordination structure means that a fair-housing complaint filed against a property owner or manager will generally be routed through a single governmental body rather than pursued simultaneously by multiple agencies. Operators who receive notice of a complaint should identify which agency—state, local, or federal—has taken jurisdiction, since that determination shapes the entire procedural path. Keeping clear records of any agency correspondence helps demonstrate awareness of which forum is handling a matter, consistent with the single-relief principle the statute establishes.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 49.60.226 protects complainants from having to navigate duplicative proceedings, but it also means that relief is available from only one governmental source at a time. If a housing discrimination complaint has been filed with a federal agency such as HUD, a parallel state or local proceeding under Washington's law against discrimination may be paused or barred unless the federal matter is deferred to allow state action. Tenants exploring their options under § 49.60.226 may benefit from contacting the Washington State Human Rights Commission or a local tenant-rights organization to understand which forum is best positioned to accept and process their complaint.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 7, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.