Bill > SB5093

This bill addresses dignity in pregnancy loss by making several key legislative changes. First, it removes outdated legal provisions that could potentially criminalize pregnancy outcomes, emphasizing that Washingtonians should be able to seek medical assistance without fear of civil or criminal liability. The bill modifies existing law to eliminate language that could investigate abortions or pregnancy losses in a punitive manner, while maintaining requirements for reporting births, deaths, and fetal deaths. Additionally, the bill introduces a new requirement for correctional institutions and private detention facilities to annually report aggregate data on miscarriages, stillbirths, and perinatal losses to the Department of Health, with the first report due by June 30, 2029. The reports will provide statewide insights into pregnancy losses in confined settings without including any personal identifying information. The legislation also repeals an existing law about concealing births, further supporting the goal of treating individuals with respect and dignity during pregnancy loss. The bill explicitly states that coroners can still investigate deaths under suspicious circumstances, but such investigations cannot be used to criminalize the pregnant person who experienced the pregnancy loss or had an abortion.