1531: This Bill Must Die – Here’s Why
HOUSE BILL 1531 is Looming Large in Olympia
This legislation would prevent local jurisdictions (e.g., counties, regional/county Boards of Health) from creating statutes, ordinances, rules, or policies that would “prohibit the implementation or promotion” of the disease response measures taken by State and Local Health Officers, namely with vaccines. Furthermore, any existing regulations that conflict with this policy would be declared null and void.
Despite the bill’s short length, it is still up for interpretation as to what it would actually accomplish – since no Washington jurisdiction has successfully passed a law or ordinance that prevents the Department of Health or their local health officers from “implementation or promotion” of their preferred infectious disease responses.
So, in this updated opinion by ICWA, written after the public comments delivered in the Health Committee (see below clips), this bill wouldn’t do anything initially since there are no existing ordinances or policies to void. A Washington city or county would have to take a stand and pass a law that would prevent a Department of Health response measure. Therefore, resolutions like the one passed by the Franklin County Commission on February 19, 2025 should remain in effect, given that this resolution doesn’t stop the Local Health Officer from doing their own implementation or promotion of their chosen, usually CDC-driven, communicable disease measures.
The opinion held by many Republican House Health Committee members along with ICWA and the many commenters against HB 1531 is that it is an obvious power play and is only serving to degrade trust in the public health institutions.
Loading...
Reload document 
Open in new tab Bill Status as of March 3, 2025: It is in the House Rules committee, where we’re watching to see if it gets sent to the floor calendars.
Check the latest status on our ICWA Bill Track 50 Watch List or the legislative site.
In other words: check out what these folks had to say against the bill.
And a Local Health Officer, Dr. Allison Berry, agrees that local control should be allowed. (Check out the look on Dr. Kwan Gett’s face as she provides committee testimony).
