Death with dignity act

AN ACT Relating to requirements for accessing the Washington 1
death with dignity act; and amending RCW 70.245.010, 70.245.090, and 2
70.245.230. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 70.245.010 and 2023 c 38 s 1 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter 7
unless the context clearly requires otherwise. 8
(1) "Adult" means an individual who is 18 years of age or older.9
(2) "Attending qualified medical provider" means the qualified 10
medical provider who has primary responsibility for the care of the 11
patient and treatment of the patient's terminal disease.12
(3) "Competent" means that, in the opinion of a court or in the 13
opinion of the patient's attending qualified medical provider, 14
consulting qualified medical provider, psychiatrist, or psychologist, 15
a patient has the ability to make and communicate an informed 16
decision to health care providers, including communication through 17
persons familiar with the patient's manner of communicating if those 18
persons are available. 19
(4) "Consulting qualified medical provider" means a qualified 20
medical provider who is qualified by specialty or experience to make 21
H-1180.1
HOUSE BILL 1876
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Peterson, Rude, Doglio, Parshley, Simmons, Ormsby,
Ramel, Hill, Macri, and Pollet
Read first time 02/07/25. Referred to Committee on Early Learning &
Human Services.
p. 1 HB 1876
a professional diagnosis and prognosis regarding the patient's 1
disease. 2
(5) "Counseling" means one or more consultations as necessary 3
between a state licensed psychiatrist, psychologist, independent 4
clinical social worker, advanced social worker, mental health 5
counselor, or psychiatric advanced practice registered nurse 6
((practitioner)) and a patient for the purpose of determining that 7
the patient is competent and not suffering from a psychiatric or 8
psychological disorder or depression causing impaired judgment.9
(6) "Health care provider" means a person licensed, certified, or 10
otherwise authorized or permitted by law to administer health care or 11
dispense medication in the ordinary course of business or practice of 12
a profession, and includes a health care facility.13
(7) "Informed decision" means a decision by a qualified patient, 14
to request and obtain a prescription for medication that the 15
qualified patient may self-administer to end his or her life in a 16
humane and dignified manner, that is based on an appreciation of the 17
relevant facts and after being fully informed by the attending 18
qualified medical provider of: 19
(a) His or her medical diagnosis; 20
(b) His or her prognosis; 21
(c) The potential risks associated with taking the medication to 22
be prescribed; 23
(d) The probable result of taking the medication to be 24
prescribed; and 25
(e) The feasible alternatives including, but not limited to, 26
comfort care, hospice care, and pain control. 27
(8) "Irremediable pain or suffering" means pain or other physical 28
symptoms related to a patient's terminal disease that cannot be 29
reasonably managed or significantly alleviated by available 30
treatment.31
(9) "Medically confirmed" means the medical opinion of the 32
attending qualified medical provider has been confirmed by a 33
consulting qualified medical provider who has examined the patient 34
and the patient's relevant medical records. 35
(((9))) (10) "Patient" means a person who is under the care of an 36
attending qualified medical provider. 37
(((10))) (11) "Qualified medical provider" means a physician 38
licensed under chapter 18.57 or 18.71 RCW, a physician assistant 39
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licensed under chapter 18.71A RCW, or an advanced practice registered 1
nurse ((practitioner)) licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW.2
(((11))) (12) "Qualified patient" means a competent adult who is 3
a resident of Washington state and has satisfied the requirements of 4
this chapter in order to obtain a prescription for medication that 5
the qualified patient may self-administer to end his or her life in a 6
humane and dignified manner. 7
(((12))) (13) "Self-administer" means a qualified patient's act 8
of ingesting medication to end his or her life in a humane and 9
dignified manner. 10
(((13))) (14) "Terminal disease" means an incurable and 11
irreversible disease that has been medically confirmed and will, 12
within reasonable medical judgment, produce death within six months.13
Sec. 2. RCW 70.245.090 and 2023 c 38 s 10 are each amended to 14
read as follows: 15
(1) To receive a prescription for medication that the qualified 16
patient may self-administer to end his or her life in a humane and 17
dignified manner, a qualified patient shall have made an oral request 18
and a written request, and reiterate the oral request to his or her 19
attending qualified medical provider at least seven days after making 20
the initial oral request. 21
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, if, at the 22
time of the qualified patient's initial oral request in subsection 23
(1) of this section, the attending qualified medical provider 24
determines that the qualified patient: (a) Is not expected to survive 25
for seven days; (b) is not expected to retain the ability to self-26
administer the life-ending mediation for seven days; or (c) is 27
experiencing irremediable pain or suffering, then the qualified 28
patient is exempt from the seven day waiting period between the first 29
and second oral requests for medication.30
(3) At the time the qualified patient makes his or her second 31
oral request, the attending qualified medical provider shall offer 32
the qualified patient an opportunity to rescind the request.33
(((3))) (4) A transfer of care or medical records does not 34
restart any waiting period under this section. 35
Sec. 3. RCW 70.245.230 and 2023 c 38 s 2 are each amended to 36
read as follows: 37
p. 3 HB 1876
(1) Subject to the provisions in subsection (2) of this section, 1
a qualified patient may select the attending or consulting qualified 2
medical provider of the qualified patient's choosing.3
(2)(a) If a qualified patient selects an attending qualified 4
medical provider who is a licensed professional other than a 5
physician, the qualified patient must select a physician to serve as 6
the qualified patient's consulting qualified medical provider.7
(b) A qualified patient may select a consulting qualified medical 8
provider who is a licensed professional other than a physician, only 9
if the qualified patient's attending qualified medical provider is a 10
physician. 11
(c) ((The)) If the attending qualified medical provider ((and)) 12
or the consulting qualified medical provider selected by the 13
qualified patient is a physician assistant, the other qualified 14
medical provider may not have a direct supervisory relationship with 15
((each other )) the physician assistant who is serving as the 16
attending qualified medical provider or the consulting qualified 17
medical provider. 18
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