ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1300

ByHouse Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Orwall, Mosbrucker, Graham, Jacobsen, Lekanoff, Macri, and Reed)

AN ACT Relating to fraud in assisted reproduction; amending RCW 9A.36.031; reenacting and amending RCW 18.130.180; creating new sections; prescribing penalties; and providing an expiration date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 2. RCW 9A.36.031 and 2013 c 256 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) A person is guilty of assault in the third degree if he or she, under circumstances not amounting to assault in the first or second degree:

(a) With intent to prevent or resist the execution of any lawful process or mandate of any court officer or the lawful apprehension or detention of himself, herself, or another person, assaults another; or

(b) Assaults a person employed as a transit operator or driver, the immediate supervisor of a transit operator or driver, a mechanic, or a security officer, by a public or private transit company or a contracted transit service provider, while that person is performing his or her official duties at the time of the assault; or

(c) Assaults a school bus driver, the immediate supervisor of a driver, a mechanic, or a security officer, employed by a school district transportation service or a private company under contract for transportation services with a school district, while the person is performing his or her official duties at the time of the assault; or

(d) With criminal negligence, causes bodily harm to another person by means of a weapon or other instrument or thing likely to produce bodily harm; or

(e) Assaults a firefighter or other employee of a fire department, county fire marshal's office, county fire prevention bureau, or fire protection district who was performing his or her official duties at the time of the assault; or

(f) With criminal negligence, causes bodily harm accompanied by substantial pain that extends for a period sufficient to cause considerable suffering; or

(g) Assaults a law enforcement officer or other employee of a law enforcement agency who was performing his or her official duties at the time of the assault; or

(h) Assaults a peace officer with a projectile stun gun; or

(i) Assaults a nurse, physician, or health care provider who was performing his or her nursing or health care duties at the time of the assault. For purposes of this subsection: "Nurse" means a person licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW; "physician" means a person licensed under chapter 18.57 or 18.71 RCW; and "health care provider" means a person certified under chapter 18.71 or 18.73 RCW who performs emergency medical services or a person regulated under Title 18 RCW and employed by, or contracting with, a hospital licensed under chapter 70.41 RCW; or

(j) Assaults a judicial officer, court-related employee, county clerk, or county clerk's employee, while that person is performing his or her official duties at the time of the assault or as a result of that person's employment within the judicial system. For purposes of this subsection, "court-related employee" includes bailiffs, court reporters, judicial assistants, court managers, court managers' employees, and any other employee, regardless of title, who is engaged in equivalent functions; or

(k) Assaults a person located in a courtroom, jury room, judge's chamber, or any waiting area or corridor immediately adjacent to a courtroom, jury room, or judge's chamber. This section shall apply only: (i) During the times when a courtroom, jury room, or judge's chamber is being used for judicial purposes during court proceedings; and (ii) if signage was posted in compliance with RCW 2.28.200 at the time of the assault; or

(l) Implants his or her gametes or reproductive material into a patient without the patient's written consent. For the purposes of this subsection, "gamete" means sperm, egg, or any part of a sperm or egg, and "reproductive material" means a human gamete or a human organism at any stage of development from fertilized ovum to embryo.

(2) Assault in the third degree is a class C felony.

Sec. 3. RCW 18.130.180 and 2023 c 192 s 2 and 2023 c 122 s 4 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

Except as provided in RCW 18.130.450, the following conduct, acts, or conditions constitute unprofessional conduct for any license holder under the jurisdiction of this chapter:

(1) The commission of any act involving moral turpitude, dishonesty, or corruption relating to the practice of the person's profession, whether the act constitutes a crime or not. If the act constitutes a crime, conviction in a criminal proceeding is not a condition precedent to disciplinary action. Upon such a conviction, however, the judgment and sentence is conclusive evidence at the ensuing disciplinary hearing of the guilt of the license holder of the crime described in the indictment or information, and of the person's violation of the statute on which it is based. For the purposes of this section, conviction includes all instances in which a plea of guilty or nolo contendere is the basis for the conviction and all proceedings in which the sentence has been deferred or suspended. Nothing in this section abrogates rights guaranteed under chapter 9.96A RCW;

(2) Misrepresentation or concealment of a material fact in obtaining a license or in reinstatement thereof;

(3) All advertising which is false, fraudulent, or misleading;

(4) Incompetence, negligence, or malpractice which results in injury to a patient or which creates an unreasonable risk that a patient may be harmed. The use of a nontraditional treatment by itself shall not constitute unprofessional conduct, provided that it does not result in injury to a patient or create an unreasonable risk that a patient may be harmed;

(5) Suspension, revocation, or restriction of the individual's license to practice any health care profession by competent authority in any state, federal, or foreign jurisdiction, a certified copy of the order, stipulation, or agreement being conclusive evidence of the revocation, suspension, or restriction;

(6) The possession, use, prescription for use, or distribution of controlled substances or legend drugs in any way other than for legitimate or therapeutic purposes, diversion of controlled substances or legend drugs, the violation of any drug law, or prescribing controlled substances for oneself;

(7) Violation of any state or federal statute or administrative rule regulating the profession in question, including any statute or rule defining or establishing standards of patient care or professional conduct or practice;

(8) Failure to cooperate with the disciplining authority by:

(a) Not furnishing any papers, documents, records, or other items;

(b) Not furnishing in writing a full and complete explanation covering the matter contained in the complaint filed with the disciplining authority;

(c) Not responding to subpoenas issued by the disciplining authority, whether or not the recipient of the subpoena is the accused in the proceeding; or

(d) Not providing reasonable and timely access for authorized representatives of the disciplining authority seeking to perform practice reviews at facilities utilized by the license holder;

(9) Failure to comply with an order issued by the disciplining authority or a stipulation for informal disposition entered into with the disciplining authority;

(10) Aiding or abetting an unlicensed person to practice when a license is required;

(11) Violations of rules established by any health agency;

(12) Practice beyond the scope of practice as defined by law or rule;

(13) Misrepresentation or fraud in any aspect of the conduct of the business or profession;

(14) Failure to adequately supervise auxiliary staff to the extent that the consumer's health or safety is at risk;

(15) Engaging in a profession involving contact with the public while suffering from a contagious or infectious disease involving serious risk to public health;

(16) Promotion for personal gain of any unnecessary or inefficacious drug, device, treatment, procedure, or service;

(17) Conviction of any gross misdemeanor or felony relating to the practice of the person's profession. For the purposes of this subsection, conviction includes all instances in which a plea of guilty or nolo contendere is the basis for conviction and all proceedings in which the sentence has been deferred or suspended. Nothing in this section abrogates rights guaranteed under chapter 9.96A RCW;

(18) The offering, undertaking, or agreeing to cure or treat disease by a secret method, procedure, treatment, or medicine, or the treating, operating, or prescribing for any health condition by a method, means, or procedure which the licensee refuses to divulge upon demand of the disciplining authority;

(19) The willful betrayal of a practitioner-patient privilege as recognized by law;

(20) Violation of chapter 19.68 RCW or a pattern of violations of RCW 41.05.700(8), 48.43.735(8), 48.49.020, 48.49.030, 71.24.335(8), or 74.09.325(8);

(21) Interference with an investigation or disciplinary proceeding by willful misrepresentation of facts before the disciplining authority or its authorized representative, or by the use of threats or harassment against any patient or witness to prevent them from providing evidence in a disciplinary proceeding or any other legal action, or by the use of financial inducements to any patient or witness to prevent or attempt to prevent him or her from providing evidence in a disciplinary proceeding;

(22) Current misuse of:

(a) Alcohol;

(b) Controlled substances; or

(c) Legend drugs;

(23) Abuse of a client or patient or sexual contact with a client or patient;

(24) Acceptance of more than a nominal gratuity, hospitality, or subsidy offered by a representative or vendor of medical or health-related products or services intended for patients, in contemplation of a sale or for use in research publishable in professional journals, where a conflict of interest is presented, as defined by rules of the disciplining authority, in consultation with the department, based on recognized professional ethical standards;

(25) Violation of RCW 18.130.420;

(26) Performing conversion therapy on a patient under age eighteen;

(27) Violation of RCW 18.130.430;

(28) Violation of RCW 18.130.460; or

(29) Implanting the license holder's own gametes or reproductive material into a patient without the patient's written consent.

(2) The work group must, at minimum, consist of stakeholders representing each of the following:

(a) The Washington association of prosecuting attorneys;

(b) Victims of crimes related to fraud in assisted reproduction;

(c) A statewide association representing physicians;

(d) A national organization focused on the advancement of the science and practice of reproductive medicine;

(e) Health care providers;

(f) Fertility clinics;

(g) Gamete banks; and

(h) Any other entities that the department of health determines should participate in the work group.

(3) After being convened, the work group must continue to meet at least once every two months to evaluate and make recommendations related to the following subjects:

(a) Conduct that may constitute fraud in assisted reproduction;

(b) Whether particular forms of fraud in assisted reproduction should be subject to increased regulation and enforcement, including consideration of whether to:

(i) Expand related professional disciplinary actions;

(ii) Expand related criminal penalties;

(iii) Provide additional civil causes of action or remedies to donors and patients who are harmed;

(iv) Extend related statutes of limitations; and

(v) Make any other relevant changes to support effective regulation and enforcement;

(c) Whether certain information about the identity and background of donors should be protected or shared, and with whom that information should be protected from or shared with;

(d) Whether to allow or prohibit anonymous donations;

(e) Whether there should be any limits on how frequently the same person may provide donations of reproductive material;

(f) Current regulations on assisted reproduction services offered by health care providers, fertility clinics, and gamete banks in Washington, including existing enforcement mechanisms;

(g) Approaches other jurisdictions have undertaken to address fraud in assisted reproduction, including any legislative efforts to address fraud in assisted reproduction in those jurisdictions;

(h) Resources for victims of fraud in assisted reproduction; and

(i) Any other relevant factors or considerations.

(4) The department of health must issue a final report containing the work group's findings and recommendations to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature by October 1, 2025.

(5) This section expires January 1, 2026.

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