AN ACT Relating to notice requirements of health care providers; and adding a new section to chapter 70.01 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 70.01 RCW to read as follows:

(1) A health care provider whose religious or philosophical beliefs prevent the provider from offering or performing certain medical procedures or prescribing a specific drug or group of drugs that are within the health care provider's scope of practice must, if a patient or client could reasonably believe that the medical procedures or drug would be available through that provider, provide notice to patients or clients as follows:

(a) The health care provider's office must post prominently on its web site and in locations easily accessible to and visible by patients or clients, a statement that the health care provider will not perform certain medical procedures or will not prescribe specific drugs because of the health care provider's religious or philosophical beliefs; and

(b) The health care provider must provide a written notice to each of its patients or clients that explains that the health care provider will not perform certain medical procedures or will not prescribe specific drugs because of the health care provider's religious or philosophical beliefs. Each patient must sign the statement and provide an acknowledgment that the statement was provided and understood. If the patient or client is a non-English speaker, the notice must be provided to the patient or client in a language that the patient or client understands.

(2) For the purposes of this section, "health care provider" means a physician under chapter 18.71 RCW, an osteopathic physician under chapter 18.57 RCW, a registered nurse or advanced registered nurse practitioner under chapter 18.79 RCW, a pharmacist or pharmacy licensed under chapter 18.64 RCW, an osteopathic physician assistant under chapter 18.57A RCW, a physician assistant under chapter 18.71A RCW; a naturopath under chapter 18.36A RCW; a hospital under chapter 70.41 RCW; and an ambulatory surgical facility under chapter 70.230 RCW.

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