Bill
SB 5924
Expands pharmacists’ prescriptive authority to diagnose and prescribe within their training, boosting access to meds in rural and underserved areas.
Note: The bill number SB 5924 has been used for two different measures in separate sessions. This summary covers both versions provided in the materials: (A) the 2024/68th Legislature measure concerning employee access to personnel records (Labor & Commerce), and (B) a prefiled 2026/69th Legislature measure expanding pharmacists’ prescriptive authority. Each is distinct in purpose, provisions, and legislative status.
Status: Introduced 12/29/2023; first reading 01/08/24; referred to Labor & Commerce; substitute (1st) reported out 01/23/24 (majority do pass); later referred to Ways & Means 01/24/24; had public hearings and committee actions in early 2024.
Purpose
- Increase employee and former-employee access to their personnel files and create an enforcement mechanism with statutory damages.
Key provisions
- Expands/clarifies what constitutes a "personnel file" to include (if created by the employer): job applications, performance evaluations, disciplinary records (the substitute differentiates “nonactive or closed” disciplinary records), medical/leave/accommodation records, payroll records, employment agreements, and other records the employer designates.
- Employers must provide a copy of requested personnel file(s) within 21 calendar days at no cost to the employee, former employee, or their designee.
- Employees may annually request review of personnel files; employers must remove information they determine to be irrelevant or erroneous. Employees can add a written rebuttal if they disagree.
- Former employees retain rebuttal/correction rights for up to two years and are entitled, within 21 days of request, to a signed statement about the effective date and reasons for discharge if they separated within three years.
- Adds a private cause of action for employees/former employees to enforce RCW 49.12.240–260 with remedies including equitable relief, statutory damages, and reasonable attorney fees/costs.
- Statutory damages tiers: $250 (file not provided within 21 days), $500 (not provided within 28 days), $1,000 (provided later than 35 days), and $500 for other violations.
- Employers are not required to create records or change retention schedules.
Who is affected
- Employers operating in Washington (and their HR/recordkeeping practices).
- Current employees, recent former employees (within 3 years), and their designees seeking personnel records.
- Employers may face increased administrative obligations and potential civil liability for noncompliance.
Procedural/timeline notes
- Substitute bill reported favorably by Labor & Commerce 01/23/24 (with minority do-not-pass). Referred to Ways & Means 01/24/24. Public hearings and executive session occurred in early Feb 2024; no final enactment recorded in the provided timeline.
Status: Prefiled 12/22/2025 for the 2026 Regular Session (69th Legislature); bill text S-3568.1.
Purpose / Legislative intent
- Address provider shortages (especially rural/underserved areas) by expanding pharmacists’ authority to prescribe and practice to the full extent of their education, training, and experience.
- Reduce administrative burdens associated with collaborative drug therapy agreements and broaden pharmacist-led access to medication management across chronic and behavioral health conditions.
Key provisions (drafted changes and structure)
- Amends and reenacts multiple statutes (notably RCW 18.64.011 and RCW 69.41.030) and creates at least one new section; text redefines/updates definitions in the pharmacy chapter (RCW 18.64.011) consistent with expanded pharmacist roles.
- Legislative findings emphasize: PharmD degree as standard training (since 2000), 1,740+ hours of direct patient care in education, and historical pharmacist prescribing under collaborative drug therapy agreements since 1979 with no commission-recorded patient harm.
- Declares intent to eliminate or reduce burdensome requirements to maintain/file collaborative drug therapy agreements and to authorize pharmacists to diagnose and prescribe without those procedural constraints so long as they practice within their education/training/experience.
- Bill text indicates it provides an effective date and an expiration date (sunset) for some provision(s), though specific dates and detailed scope of new prescriptive authorities are not fully included in the excerpt.
Who is affected
- Licensed pharmacists in Washington (expanded scope and autonomy).
- Patients in rural and underserved communities who may gain improved access to prescription medications and medication management.
- Health systems and other prescribers (potential changes to referral, collaboration, and care models).
- Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission and Department of Health (statutory sections amended; oversight responsibilities may change).
Procedural/timeline notes
- Prefiled for the 2026 session (12/22/2025). The bill as presented is an early draft S-3568.1 and would proceed through committee hearing(s) and amendment before potential enactment. The bill includes provisions to amend existing RCWs and to set effective and expiration dates.
If you want, I can:
- Produce a side-by-side comparison of the 2024 personnel-file substitute and current statute language (RCW 49.12) showing specific changes.
- Draft a short briefing on likely implementation issues and stakeholder positions for the pharmacists’ prescriptive-authority bill.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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