Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Health Care & Wellness Committee

HB 1353

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Bill

Requires a local health department to provide free infectious disease testing to a Good Samaritan regardless of his or her insurance coverage, as well as to the source patient.

Background:

A Good Samaritan is a person who renders emergency care or transportation without expectation of compensation. A Good Samaritan is entitled to request and receive appropriate infectious disease testing free of charge from the local health department in the county of his or her residence if: (1) while rendering emergency care, he or she came into contact with bodily fluids; and (2) he or she does not have health insurance that covers the testing.

A local health department is not required to provide health care services beyond testing. The information obtained from the testing is subject to statutory confidentiality provisions.

By rule, to receive free testing there must have been an exchange of bodily fluids that significantly increases the odds of being exposed to a deadly infectious disease, and the Good Samaritan must request the testing within 30 days. The local health department determines the diseases for which it is appropriate to test the Good Samaritan.

Summary of Bill:

A local health department must provide free infectious disease testing to a Good Samaritan regardless of whether he or she has health insurance covering the testing. In addition, the local health department must provide free testing of the source patient, with his or her consent, to guide post-exposure prophylaxis treatment of the Good Samaritan.