Summary
The Washington State Board of Health (Board) creates rules under RCW 43.20.050 to help control infectious and noninfectious diseases, also known as notifiable conditions. Chapter 246-101 WAC establishes the information that healthcare providers, facilities, labs, and others must report to help public health officials track diseases and protect public health in Washington. The Board is proposing updates to its notifiable conditions rule. The purpose is to ease current COVID-19 reporting requirements while retaining the key data needed to protect the public’s health and ongoing disease surveillance.
For More Information
Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050
Board Contact: Molly Dinardo, notifiableconditions@sboh.wa.gov
Department of Health Contact: Samantha Fuller, notifiableconditions@sboh.wa.gov
If you want updates about this project, you can sign up for emails by filling out the Notifiable Conditions project interest form: Notifiable Conditions Interest Form - Airtable
Additional Background
The Washington State Board of Health (Board) filed a CR-101, Preproposal Statement of Inquiry, for chapter 246-101 WAC. Chapter 246-101 WAC establishes the reporting requirements for healthcare providers, facilities, laboratories, and other entities. These requirements help public health officials track communicable diseases and other conditions, in accordance with RCW 43.20.050, 70.104.055, and 43.70.545
On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, the Board filed the CR-101 as WSR 25-08-026.
The CR-101 announces to the public that the Board is initiating rulemaking. This is in response to feedback from local health jurisdictions and changes in the national notifiable condition designation for COVID-19 by the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE). This rulemaking is necessary to ease COVID-19 reporting requirements while retaining key data needed to protect the public’s health and for ongoing disease surveillance.
The Board will not consider other updates to the rule at this time.
