Vital Records – Certificates Rulemaking
On April 6, 2022, the Department filed the Rule-making Order to adopt the proposal of amending rules in chapter 246-491 WAC, Certificates, and WAC 246-490-200, Electronic reporting of deaths, under Washington State Register 22-09-002.
The adopted rules are to implement House Bill 1031 (Chapter 55, Laws of 2021), which created a new certification of birth resulting in stillbirth. The adopted rules:
- Prescribe the information displayed on the certification of birth resulting in stillbirth;
- Add the certification of birth resulting in stillbirth to existing requirements for a person to prove eligibility to obtain the certification;
- Remove the exclusion of electronic registration of fetal deaths; and
- Make editorial changes.
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The adopted rules are not different from the text of the proposed rule as it was published in the Washington State Register 22-04-093.
The adopted rules will become effective on October 1, 2022.
Activity | Planned Completion Date | Actual Completion Date |
---|---|---|
File CR-101, Preproposal Statement of Inquiry | 7/7/2021 | 6/18/2021 |
Notify interested parties of rule making | 7/9/2021 | 6/24/2021 |
Gather informal comments on draft rule | 10/29/2021 | 9/10/21 |
Assess informal comments, revise draft rule if necessary, and prepare analyses | 12/31/2021 | 12/10/2021 |
File CR 102, Proposed Rule Making | 2/2/2022 | 2/2/2022 |
Notify interested parties of opportunity to comment on proposed rul | 2/4/2022 | 2/4/2022 |
Public Hearing | 3/31/2022 | 3/10/2022 |
Assess formal comments and revise rule if necessary | 4/29/2022 | 3/14/2022 |
File CR 103 | 6/1/2022 | 4/6/2022 |
Respond to formal comments and notify stakeholders of effective date of adopted rule | 6/4/2022 | 4/11/2022 |
Rule Effective | 10/1/2022 | 10/1/2022 |
To receive rule making notices by email and for any questions about this rule making activity, contact Vital Records Rules.
Hospital Patient Discharge Information Reporting (CHARS) Rulemaking
On April 19, 2022, the department filed a proposal (WSR 22-09-069 (PDF)) to amend existing rules and create new rules in chapter 246-455 WAC, Hospital Patient Discharge Information Reporting. The proposed rules prescribe new patient demographic information reported by hospitals; establish a waiver process; strengthen protections of patient health care information to align with federal law changes; clarify and add requirements for data collection and reporting; establish formalized procedures for requesting hospital patient discharge data; prescribe direct and indirect patient identifiers; update or add definitions; make technical updates and clarifications to existing rules; and establish fees for data files and analysis.
We're accepting comments on the proposal rule until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.
You may submit written comments in three ways.
- Online on the Rules Comment (wa.gov) site (this will open the online comment site.)
- Email to:Katitza.Holthaus@doh.wa.gov
- U.S. Mail to:
Washington State Department of Health
Attn: Katitza Holthaus
P.O. Box 47814
Olympia, WA 98504-7814
You may also provide testimony on May 24, 2022, at 11 a.m.
To register for the virtual public hearing select the Webinar Registration - Zoom link.
Activity | Planned Completion Date | Actual Completion Date |
---|---|---|
File CR-101, Preproposal Statement of Inquiry | 7/7/2021 | 6/18/2021 |
Notify interested parties of rule making | 7/9/2021 | 6/28/2021 |
Hold listening sessions | 9/30/2021 | 11/18/2021 |
Gather informal comments on draft rule | 10/29/2021 | 12/24/2021 |
Assess informal comments, revise draft rule if necessary, and prepare analyses | 12/31/2021 | 3/4/2021 |
File CR 102, Proposed Rule Making (revised target completion date) |
2/16/2022 (4/20/2022) |
4/19/2022 |
Notify interested parties of opportunity to comment on proposed rule (revised target completion date) |
2/18/2022 (4/22/2022) |
4/22/2022 |
Public Hearing (revised target completion date) |
3/31/2022 (5/24/2022) |
5/24/2022 |
Assess formal comments and revise rule if necessary (revised target completion date) |
5/6/2022 (5/30/2022) |
|
File CR 103 | 7/1/2022 | |
Respond to formal comments and notify stakeholders of effective date of adopted rule | 7/1/2022 | |
Rule Effective | 1/1/2023 |
To receive rule making notices by email and for any questions about this rule making activity, contact Katitza.Holthaus@doh.wa.gov.