HB 2573
In CommitteeHouse
Grocery stores & pharmacies
Concerning community access to food, medicine, and health services.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill aims to prevent the loss of essential food and health services in communities by requiring advance notice of closures by grocery stores and pharmacies, allowing local governments to impose fees or taxes on vacant properties, and updating planning requirements to ensure continued access to healthy food and medicine—especially in overburdened communities. It also adds a new 'healthy communities' element to local comprehensive plans.
- Requires grocery stores, full-service grocery stores, and pharmacies that were relied upon in local planning to provide at least 6 months’ notice (or 1 year for stores in overburdened communities) before closing, reducing service, or selling the property.
- Mandates that local governments receive notice and post it publicly, including in languages spoken by at least 5% of the affected community’s residents.
- Allows cities and counties to use zoning and comprehensive plan updates to require continued use of certain properties for grocery stores, pharmacies, or other health-promoting services, especially near transit or in areas planned for increased housing density.
- Adds a new healthy communities element to comprehensive plans under the Growth Management Act, with specific policies to improve health outcomes in overburdened communities and tribal areas.
- Authorizes local governments to impose an excise tax up to $500,000 per acre on vacant properties previously used as supermarkets, pharmacies, or grocery stores—unless the property is repurposed for approved uses like housing, child care, or public services.
- Authorizes cities, towns, and counties to impose a nuisance fee up to $250,000 per acre on vacant properties that pose health or safety risks, with waivers available for temporary community uses like gardens, shelters, or small businesses.
Who is affected
- Grocery stores, pharmacies, and their owners — Grocery stores, full-service grocery stores, and pharmacies that were relied upon in local planning for housing, health services, or infrastructure may be required to give advance notice before closing or significantly changing operations, and could face taxes or fees if their properties remain vacant.
- Community residents, especially in overburdened communities — Residents of areas where supermarkets or pharmacies have closed or are at risk of closing—especially in neighborhoods designated as overburdened or with high housing density plans—may gain protections against loss of essential services and access to healthy food and medicine.
- Local governments (cities and counties) — Cities and counties gain new authority to require notice of closures, impose fees or taxes on vacant properties, and update zoning to require continued use for health-related services in certain areas.
- Federally recognized tribes — Federally recognized tribes designated under the Healthy Environment for All Act may benefit from improved access to food, medicine, and health services in their communities and treaty-reserved areas.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (5)
Overburdened communities and tribal areas gain stronger protections against loss of essential pharmacies and clinics, reducing travel time and barriers to care—especially critical for elderly, disabled, and low-income residents who rely on local access to medications and health services.
HealthcarePeopleRef: Sec. 2(2), Sec. 2(4), Sec. 7(5)(d)The bill protects investments in transit-oriented and affordable housing by ensuring grocery and pharmacy access remains part of the planning framework—preventing “planned deserts” where density increases without corresponding services, directly benefiting low- and moderate-income residents.
HousingPeopleRef: Sec. 2(1), Sec. 2(2), Sec. 3(2)Excise and nuisance fees can be redirected to fund community safety, food banks, and local stores—supporting public health infrastructure and reducing blight, which disproportionately benefits vulnerable residents in neighborhoods with high vacancy rates.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 7(5)(a), Sec. 7(5)(e), Sec. 8–10(2)By mandating a healthy communities element and linking it to overburdened community designations, the bill supports school-based health centers, nutrition programs, and safe walking/biking routes to schools—especially in high-need areas.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 3(3), Sec. 6, Sec. 9(d)Waiver provisions for temporary uses (e.g., community gardens, pop-up markets, shelters) create low-barrier pathways for micro-enterprises and nonprofits to activate vacant space, supporting small-scale entrepreneurship and job creation in underserved areas.
Business & EmploymentPeopleRef: Sec. 7(2), Sec. 8–10(2)
Potential Concerns (5)
Grocery and pharmacy chains face significant new compliance costs (e.g., 6–12 months’ advance notice, public posting, potential tax liability) that disproportionately burden small operators and franchisees, especially where margins are thin; the $500,000/acre excise tax creates a de facto penalty for vacancy even when redevelopment is economically unfeasible, potentially accelerating store closures to avoid liability.
Business & EmploymentPeopleRef: Sec. 2(2), Sec. 7(1)Local governments gain new revenue authority but also new administrative burdens—tracking closures, verifying notices, assessing taxes/fees, processing waivers, and defending against legal challenges—costs that may strain small or under-resourced jurisdictions, especially where staff capacity is limited.
Local GovernmentPeopleRef: Sec. 7(5), Sec. 8–10The notice requirement may infringe on property owners’ contractual freedom—e.g., forcing stores to delay sale or closure even when a buyer is ready to close immediately—potentially violating due process or takings protections if applied retroactively or without compensation, especially for distressed properties.
Rights & LibertiesLean peopleRef: Sec. 2(1), Sec. 2(2)While the bill aims to prevent food deserts, the excise and nuisance fees may disincentivize developers from converting vacant stores to housing—even if the housing is affordable—because the fees persist until a grocery or pharmacy returns, potentially worsening housing shortages in overburdened neighborhoods.
HousingLean peopleRef: Sec. 7(4), Sec. 8–10(2)The one-year notice requirement for overburdened communities may delay necessary store closures for safety or health reasons (e.g., fire hazards, contamination), potentially prolonging unsafe conditions if a store is already nonviable but cannot close promptly.
Public SafetyLean peopleRef: Sec. 2(2), Sec. 2(4)
Who Is Most Affected
Grocery and pharmacy chains (especially large national operators) will face new compliance costs and potential tax liability; while some may absorb these, smaller franchisees and independent operators with thin margins are most at risk of closure or reduced service—potentially accelerating consolidation in the sector.
Low-income, elderly, disabled, and tribal community members in overburdened neighborhoods stand to gain the most—by preserving access to food, medicine, and health services that are often critical for managing chronic conditions and avoiding long travel times for care.
Local governments gain new tools to enforce service access and fund community programs, but must also invest in staffing, legal compliance, and enforcement—costs that may strain smaller or fiscally constrained jurisdictions, especially those without dedicated planning staff.
Federally recognized tribes may benefit from improved health service access in treaty-reserved areas and inclusion in planning processes, but only if tribes opt into the overburdened community designation and have capacity to engage in local planning.
Developers and property owners may face new fees or delays in repurposing vacant stores, but waivers for housing, child care, or community uses create opportunities for flexible reuse—especially if combined with state or federal grants to offset compliance costs.