(1) When submitting specimens as indicated in Table Lab-1 of WAC 246-101-201, laboratories shall adhere to the following timelines and procedures:

(a) Specimens designated for submission within two business days must be in transit within two business days from the time the specimen is ready for packaging;

(b) Specimens designated for submission on request may be requested by the local health departments or the department. The laboratory shall ship a requested specimen within two business days of receiving the request, provided the specimen is still available at the time of the request. This is not intended to require laboratories to save specimens indefinitely in anticipation of a request.

(2) Local health jurisdictions may temporarily waive specimen submission for circumstances at their discretion by communication with individual laboratories.

(3) Laboratories shall forward all required specimen submissions to:

Washington State Public Health Laboratories

Washington State Department of Health

1610 N.E. 150th Street

Shoreline, WA 98155

(4) The state health officer may designate additional laboratories as public health referral laboratories.