As Black Maternal Health Week concludes, two maternal health bills sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest) have passed the Legislature, advancing efforts to expand access to critical care and strengthen protections for pregnant and postpartum individuals in Washington state.
Black Maternal Health Week, observed annually from April 11 to April 17, was founded by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. The national campaign promotes awareness, uplifts Black mothers and birthing people, and calls for action to address maternal health disparities through community building and policy change.
Senate Bill 5182, which passed the House last week, increases access to maternal care for incarcerated individuals. The bill authorizes partnerships with nonprofit organizations and volunteers to provide doula and midwifery care in correctional settings.
Senate Bill 5217, passed by the House this week, strengthens workplace protections by guaranteeing paid lactation breaks and allowing parents of infants under 12 months to be excused from or defer jury duty.
“Black Maternal Health Week is a time to honor the strength, resilience, and experiences of Black mothers and demand real change in the systems meant to support them,” Nobles said. “It is inspiring to see the progress being made to protect and expand the rights and protections of BIPOC mothers in Washington state. Every mother deserves compassionate care, safety, and dignity. I’m committed to making sure our policies reflect that.”
These two bills build on a series of recent legislative efforts in Washington aimed at improving maternal health outcomes and protecting reproductive care:
2024
- SB 5950 – Raises Washington’s Medicaid reimbursement rate for birth doulas to $3,500 — the highest in the nation — and funds a statewide Doula Hub to support referrals and billing navigation.
- SB 6151 – Prohibits unlicensed or unsupervised individuals from performing ultrasounds to protect patients from unskilled medical practices.
- HB 1954 – Prohibits professional disciplinary action against health care workers for providing reproductive care that is legal in Washington.
- HB 2115 – Allows health care facilities to be listed on prescription labels instead of individual prescribers to help protect providers from harassment.
2023
- SB 5242 – Prohibits cost sharing for abortion services.
- HB 1469 – Also known as “The Shield Law,” protects individuals seeking or providing abortion care in Washington from legal actions initiated by other states.
- HB 1340 – Protects Washington health care providers from disciplinary action for offering services legal in-state, regardless of laws in other states.
2022
- HB 1881 – Establishes a voluntary certification process for birth doulas.
- SB 5765 – Expands midwives’ prescriptive authority and protects them from legal retaliation for providing lawful care.
2021
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