SEATTLE — Gov. Jay Inslee signed a number of bills Thursday that will protect access to abortion and reproductive care in Washington state.
Inslee has made maintaining the right to have an abortion in the state one of his priorities, and the five bills he is signing Thursday reflect that.
House Bill 1152, also known as the "My Health, My Data Act," increases consumer protections around collecting, sharing and selling consumer health data, including data collected by apps, websites and organizations.
House Bill 1469 shields abortion and gender-affirming care patients and providers from prosecution by out-of-state authorities and prevents cooperation with investigations. A number of states, including neighboring Idaho, have passed legislation that would penalize anyone who helps a minor get an abortion in another state.
House Bill 1340 protects healthcare providers in Washington from disciplinary action for providing legal abortion and gender-affirming care in Washington.
Senate Bill 5242 increases equitable access to abortion care by eliminating cost-sharing for abortions. For health plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2024, including health plans offered to public employees, a health carrier may not impose cost-sharing for abortion of a pregnancy.
Senate Bill 5768 protects abortion pill access by authorizing the Department of Corrections to distribute a supply of 30,000 doses of mifepristone. Inslee directed the DOC to purchase the supply of mifepristone in March, after a ruling in a Texas federal court threatened access to the pill.
Sen. Karen Keiser sponsored the bill.
”We are in such a volatile situation that states have to act to protect their own residents and as many people who come to our ‘safe haven,’ and that’s what we did," said Keiser.