S-3606               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 4529

                        _______________________________________________

                                                                            C 212 L 86

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By Senators Talmadge, Newhouse, Halsan and Johnson

Read first time 1/15/86 and referred to Committee on Judiciary.

AN ACT Relating to privileged communications for registered nurses; and amending RCW 5.62.020 and 5.62.030.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 2, chapter 447, Laws of 1985 and RCW 5.62.020 are each amended to read as follows:

          No registered nurse providing primary care or practicing under protocols, whether or not the physical presence or direct supervision of a physician is required, may be examined in a civil or criminal action as to any information acquired in attending a patient in the registered nurse's professional capacity, if the information was necessary to enable the registered nurse to act in that capacity for the patient, unless:

          (1) The patient consents to disclosure or, in the event of death or disability of the patient, his or her personal representative, heir, beneficiary, or devisee consents to disclosure; or

          (2) The information relates to the contemplation or execution of a crime in the future, or relates to the neglect or the sexual or physical abuse of a child, or of a vulnerable adult as defined in RCW 74.34.020, or to a person subject to proceedings under chapter 71.05 or 71.34 RCW.

        Sec. 2.  Section 3, chapter 447, Laws of 1985 and RCW 5.62.030 are each amended to read as follows:

          Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this chapter, the privilege created in this chapter is subject to the same limitations and exemptions contained in RCW 26.26.120, 26.44.060(3), and 51.04.050((, and 71.05.250)) as those limitations and exemptions relate to the physician/patient privilege of RCW 5.60.060.