SBOH Home • Rule Making Process

Last updated:  February 10, 2012

SBOH Current and Anticipated Rule Making 2012

The State Board of Health adopts rules according to its statutory authority and consistent with the state's Administrative Procedures Act.

Governor Gregoire issued Executive Order 10-06 on November 17, 2010, suspending rule making unless the rule making meets certain exemption criteria. Refer to the Governor’s Web site for more information.

The Board regulates our state's public health efforts in immunization, safe drinking water, small on-site sewage disposal systems, control of infectious and non-infectious diseases, and assuring safe and healthful conditions in our environment with special emphasis on schools, eating establishments, and recreation sites. Its rules govern many operations within local health jurisdictions and certain practices among private health care providers, health facilities, schools, child care centers, and some businesses, such as restaurants and hotels. They also guide some activities of the state Department of Health.

Any person may petition a state agency to adopt, repeal, or amend any rule.

This page describes the status of current or recent (within the last year) rule reviews. For a complete listing and summary of the Board's rule making authority please refer to the Draft Summary of Board Authority. For historic rule making, please see the archived descriptions.

The Board delegates some of its rule making functions to the Department of Health under a delegation policy adopted in November 2000. The Board has developed a flow chart that outlines the roles and processes under which the Board normally works with the state Department of Health to develop and approve these rules.

• State Board of Health and Department of Health Semi-annual rulemaking agenda
• State Board of Health Rule-making Activity under Executive Order 10-06

If you have any questions about this process, please contact Michelle Davis at 360-236-4105.

Index to Current & Anticipated Rule Making

Communicable Disease Control and Prevention

• HIV/AIDS

• Notifiable Conditions

Healthy Behaviors (Formerly Children's Health & Well-Being

• Confidential Information on Birth Certificates

• Ensuring Treatment of Newborns for Sexually Transmitted Disease

• Immunizations

• Newborn Screening

• Scoliosis Screening

• Vision Screening

Environmental Health

• Commercial Shellfish

• Drinking Water Laboratory Certification

• Food Service

• Keeping of Animals

• Onsite Sewage

• Primary and Secondary Schools

• Public Water Supplies: Group A

• Public Water Supplies: Group A - Fluoridation

• Public Water Supplies: Group B

• Transient Accommodations

• Water Recreation Facilities

• Zoonotic Diseases

Historic Rule Making

Helpful LInks:

• Administrative Procedures Act
• Draft Summary of Board Authority
• Executive Order 10-06: Suspending Non-Critical Rule Development and Adoption:
• Governor Gregoire suspends state rule making process
• Historic Rule Making
• Petition a state agency to adopt, repeal, or amend any rule
• RCW 34.05.330: Petition for adoption, amendment, repeal--Agency action--Appeal
• Rule Making at the State Board of Health and State Board of Health Rules Process Flow Chart
• State Board of Health and Department of Health Semi-annual rulemaking agenda
• State Board of Health Rule-making Activity under Executive Order 10-06
• WSBOH Statutory Authority