SSB 5030 Certificate Fee Waiver
On June 24, 2025, the Department filed WSR 25-14-024, a Preproposal Statement of Inquiry, to consider amending WAC 246-491-350. During General Session 2025, the Legislature passed Substitute Senate Bill (SSB) 5030. SSB 5030 allows a parent or guardian to obtain a fee-waived birth certificate for their child, who is eligible for food assistance, to enroll them in school. The Department is considering updating rule to reflect this process change.
| Activity | Planned Completion Date | Actual Completion Date |
|---|---|---|
| File CR-101, Preproposal Statement of Inquiry | June 27, 2025 | June 24, 2025 |
| Notify interested parties of rule making | June 30, 2025 | July 3, 2025 |
| Gather informal comments on draft rule | December 27, 2025 | |
| Assess informal comments, revise draft rule if necessary, and prepare analyses | April 3, 2026 | |
| File CR 102, Proposed Rule Making | June 4, 2026 | |
| Notify interested parties of opportunity to comment on proposed rule | June 11, 2026 | |
| Public Hearing | June 12, 2026 | |
| Assess formal comments and revise rule if necessary | July 16, 2026 | |
| File CR 103 | August 13, 2026 | |
| Respond to formal comments and notify stakeholders of effective date of adopted rule | August 20, 2026 | |
| Rule Effective | August 23, 2026 |
To receive rule making notices by email and for any questions about this rule making activity, contact VitalRecordsRules@doh.wa.gov.
Vital Records – Registration, Amendment, and Certification Updates
On January 27, 2023, the Department filed WSR 23-04-062, a Preproposal Statement of Inquiry, to consider adopting new rules and amending existing rules regarding vital records. Between 2018 and 2021, the state legislature amended the Uniform Parentage Act, replaced the vital statistics statute, and added a certification of birth resulting in stillbirth. Each statutory change affected program practices and products. The department is considering updating rule to reflect these process changes.
In addition to statutory changes, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) standards for birth and fetal death record items changed significantly in 2014. The department is considering aligning the statistical items collected through vital records with the new NCHS standards.
Changes considered during this rulemaking may:
- Establish registration and amendment requirements for vital records.
- Update or add program processes.
- Adopt fees associated with amendment and delayed birth applications.
- Adopt or adjust fees associated with the issuance of certifications and informational copies.
- Add or remove data items collected in a vital record.
- Expand use of electronic registration of a vital event.
- Make editorial and technical changes to align with statutory changes.
- Repeal obsolete sections of rule.
Activity |
Planned Completion Date |
Actual Completion Date |
|
File CR-101, Preproposal Statement of Inquiry |
02/01/2023 |
01/27/2023 |
|
Notify interested parties of rule making |
02/10/2023 |
02/01/2023 |
|
Gather informal comments on draft rule |
10/13/2023 |
|
|
Assess informal comments, revise draft rule if necessary, and prepare analyses |
10/20/2023 |
|
|
File CR 102, Proposed Rule Making |
01/16/2024 |
|
|
Notify interested parties of opportunity to comment on proposed rule |
01/25/2024 |
|
|
Public Hearing |
02/24/2024 |
|
|
Assess formal comments and revise rule if necessary |
03/03/2024 |
|
|
File CR 103 |
03/26/2024 |
|
|
Respond to formal comments and notify stakeholders of effective date of adopted rule |
04/04/2024 |
|
|
Rule Effective |
01/02/2025 |
|
To receive rule making notices by email and for any questions about this rule making activity, contact VitalRecordsRules@doh.wa.gov.