The Washington State Board of Health (Board) has authority to adopt rules for the prevention and control of infectious and noninfectious diseases in Washington. The Notifiable Conditions rule outlines requirements for information that health care providers, health care facilities, laboratories, and other entities must report that is necessary for public health officials to protect the public's health by tracking communicable diseases and other conditions.
Board members considered and adopted the proposed amendments to the state rule at their March 10 public meeting. During the meeting, members received a briefing on the rule updates, they deliberated and discussed the proposed rule changes, and they listened to comments from the public hearing diverse perspectives during the testimony period of the rules hearing. Notable changes to the rule include:
- Notification and specimen submission requirements for 74 new and existing notifiable conditions
- Added requirements to report race, ethnicity, and preferred language for all notifiable conditions
- Revised reporting requirements for local health jurisdictions, veterinarians, and the state Department of Agriculture
- Improved overall clarity and usability of the chapter of rule
The effective date for the new rules is scheduled for January 31, 2022. The purpose of the Notifiable Conditions rules is to provide critical information to help public health authorities in protecting and improving public health through prevention and control of infectious and noninfectious conditions. More information is available on the Notifiable Conditions rule web page.
