H-0232.1
HOUSE BILL 1215
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Taylor, Stonier, Ryu, Fitzgibbon, Macri, Wylie, and Goodman
Prefiled 01/09/25. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee on Health Care & Wellness.
AN ACT Relating to removing references to pregnancy from the model directive form under the natural death act; and amending RCW 70.122.030 .
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 70.122.030 and 2019 c 209 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) Any adult person may execute a directive directing the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment in a terminal condition or permanent unconscious condition. The directive shall be signed by the declarer and acknowledged before a notary public or other individual authorized by law to take acknowledgments or signed by the declarer in the presence of two witnesses not related to the declarer by blood or marriage and who would not be entitled to any portion of the estate of the declarer upon declarer's decease under any will of the declarer or codicil thereto then existing or, at the time of the directive, by operation of law then existing. In addition, a witness to a directive shall not be the attending physician, an employee of the attending physician or a health facility in which the declarer is a patient, or any person who has a claim against any portion of the estate of the declarer upon declarer's decease at the time of the execution of the directive. The directive, or a copy thereof, shall be made part of the patient's medical records retained by the attending physician, a copy of which shall be forwarded by the custodian of the records to the health facility when the withholding or withdrawal of life-support treatment is contemplated. The directive may be in the following form and may include a notarial certificate for an acknowledgment in an individual capacity in short form as permitted by state law, but in addition may include other specific directions: