Washington state law protects the right to have an abortion, but barriers remain that prevent full access to affordable, reliable, and equitable reproductive healthcare. Learn about our priority legislation and join us to help advocate for expanded care.
See the progress we made on priority legislation in 2023: Post-Session Update
Pro-Choice Washington 2023 Legislative Agenda
Pro-Choice Washington envisions a future where every person in Washington state has equitable access to the reproductive healthcare options they need to thrive. To help make this vision a reality, we prioritize legislation that focuses on three things:
- Increases access to affordable, timely, and quality abortion and reproductive healthcare;
- Reduces the burden of out-of-pocket costs for reproductive health services, which are often unaffordable and may delay or prevent access to healthcare;
- Builds a more equitable Washington that protects all peoples’ rights, safety, and healthcare.
Achieving this vision requires working closely with our partners that protect our democracy and our communities more broadly by improving health equity, voting justice, and police accountability.
Priority Legislation refers to bills that are directly connected to Pro-Choice Washington’s key issue areas. These bills fall under Pro-Choice Washington’s core advocacy focus and have a direct impact on our community. As a result, these bills receive significant Pro-Choice Washington resources, including staff time, communications support, and activism.
Support Legislation refers to bills that are connected to Pro-Choice Washington’s values and broader vision for Washington, including expanding health equity, improving democratic processes, and building safe and healthy communities. These often fall outside of our core advocacy focus, so Pro-Choice Washington follows the lead of brilliant partner organizations.
Priority Legislation
Keep Our Care Act
The Keep Our Care Act (KOCA) would create a system of public oversight to ensure that future health entity mergers in Washington benefit patients, not just the bottom line. Mergers between health care entities — like hospitals and clinics — are prolific in Washington state. Under current regulations, these mergers have negatively impacted cost, quality, and access to necessary health care services, in turn exacerbating systemic inequities for rural and low-income communities, people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and terminally ill patients.
Unlike nearby states, such as California and Oregon, health entity mergers in Washington receive minimal oversight. Washington needs a comprehensive system of public oversight to safeguard access to existing services and ensure Washingtonians can access quality care where they live, regardless of their identity, zip code, or medical needs.
END Cost Sharing for abortion care
This bill would require insurance companies to cover 100% of the costs for abortion care procedures and services. Currently, when patients receive care covered by their insurance plan, they share the cost in the form of a copayment (copays), a deductible, or coinsurance. Ending cost-sharing would make abortion care more accessible by ensuring that patients can access care without cost to themselves.
This bill would require insurance companies to cover 100% of the costs for abortion care procedures and services. Currently, when patients receive care covered by their insurance plan, they share the cost in the form of a copayment (copays), a deductible, or coinsurance. Ending cost-sharing would make abortion care more accessible by ensuring that patients can access care without cost to themselves.
washington my health, my data act
The Washington My Health, My Data Act will protect people’s personal health information by preventing it from being shared without their consent, including by fake clinics known as Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) or with law enforcement in states that criminalize abortion and gender- affirming care.
In July 2022, a Nebraskan woman and her teenage daughter were prosecuted for seeking abortion care when Meta handed over their direct messages to the police. Conversations that patients believe are private are being weaponized to criminalize and harm abortion-seekers, particularly women of color, for their health care decisions.
SHield law
A Shield Law would strengthen legal protections for abortion providers, patients, and helpers in Washington state by preventing local entities from cooperating with out-of state investigations. This bill will shield patients and providers from being criminalized for providing or accessing abortion or gender-affirming care in Washington state.
With the loss of Roe v. Wade, patients from states with abortion bans now rely on states like Washington to provide the care they need. In fact, the Guttmacher Institute estimates that there will be 385% more out-of-state patients expected to seek abortions in Washington than before Roe was overturned. But providers and patients face frightening uncertainty about whether they could be criminalized for seeking or providing legal abortion care in Washington. By passing a shield law, Washington can provide lifesaving refuge to patients and protect the health care workers who provide these vital services.
provider licenses and malpractice insurance
This law would ensure that care providers can continue providing abortion care in Washington, regardless of actions taken in states with abortion bans. Abortion providers risk losing their medical licenses and access to malpractice insurance due to hostile law suits and criminal investigations based in states with cruel and draconian bans on abortion care.
Abortion providers should be able to do their jobs to protect the health and well-being of patients without fear of criminalization or risk to their economic security. Our state already faces limited abortion and other health care workers, which can lead to increased wait times, longer travel distances, and loss of access to care for patients.
securing clinical funding for clinics, providers
As a sanctuary state, Washington now plays a critical role in preserving and providing abortion care to patients from states with abortion bans. Resources for abortion and reproductive care were strained before June 2022, so we are seeking additional funding for providers and clinics to meet the expected increase in demand.
Biennial Budget
In addition to the urgent, supplemental funding, we are requesting a biennial budget to help address inequities in access to abortion and reproductive healthcare within Washington state.
Support Legislation
police accountability
The Washington Coalition for Police Accountability advocates for the adoption and implementation of statewide policies to reduce police violence and increase police accountability. The coalition is calling for a package of common sense reforms that will help keep our communities safer.
Police brutality is among the biggest threats to healthy and safe Black families in America. Increased stress and trauma of structural racism for Black parents and families is linked with higher infant and maternal mortality rates. Black women are four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. To ensure that the voices of families and communities impacted by police violence are heard, we need to strengthen protections against police violence. Learn more about the Washington Coalition on Police Accountability here.
progressive revenue
Pro-Choice Washington is a member of Balance Our Tax Code, a coalition that works to make Washington’s tax code works for all of us, not just the wealthy few. Our vision is a more just and equitable tax code that creates a strong future where communities have the resources they need to thrive.
Washington has one of the least equitable tax codes in the country where low-income households are taxed at a higher rate than the wealthiest. Our tax code limits access to essential services, including affordable reproductive healthcare, other healthcare programs, good schools, and public transportation. We need to make sure the wealthiest Washingtonians and large corporations pay what they owe through taxes so we can fund schools, ensure quality healthcare for anyone who needs it, and provide stability for our families.
health equity for immigrants
The Health Equity for Immigrants Campaign works to improve access to affordable health care and coverage for all Washingtonians, prioritizing equitable access for individuals who are uninsured and underinsured due to immigration status restrictions.
Last session, Washington state committed to providing a pathway to affordable health coverage for everyone by 2024. This session, the campaign is working to implement that commitment and continue the work.
Immigrant communities and people of color need better access to health care coverage and services. Pro-Choice Washington will follow the lead of community leaders and impacted community members to learn more about their health care needs and what should be prioritized.
