Title 70 — Title 70 PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY
98 chapters · 1,450 sections in this title.
RCW 70.122.010 Legislative findings.
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The legislature finds that adult persons have the fundamental right to control the decisions relating to the rendering of their own health care, including the decision to have life-sustaining treatment withheld or withdrawn in instances of a terminal condition or permanent uncons…
RCW 70.122.020 Definitions.
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Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions contained in this section shall apply throughout this chapter.(1) "Adult person" means a person who has attained the age of majority as defined in RCW 26.28.010 and 26.28.015, and who has the capacity to make health c…
RCW 70.122.030 Directive to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment.
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(1) Any adult person may execute a directive directing the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment in a terminal condition or permanent unconscious condition. The directive shall be signed by the declarer and acknowledged before a notary public or other individual …
RCW 70.122.040 Revocation of directive.
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(1) A directive may be revoked at any time by the declarer, without regard to the declarer's mental state or competency, by any of the following methods:(a) By being canceled, defaced, obliterated, burned, torn, or otherwise destroyed by the declarer or by some person in the decl…
RCW 70.122.051 Liability of health care provider.
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(1) For the purposes of this section, "provider" means a physician, *advanced registered nurse practitioner, health care provider acting under the direction of a physician or an *advanced registered nurse practitioner, or health care facility, as defined in this chapter or in cha…
RCW 70.122.060 Procedures by physician—Health care facility or personnel may refuse to participate.
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(1) Prior to the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from a qualified patient pursuant to the directive, the attending physician shall make a reasonable effort to determine that the directive complies with RCW 70.122.030 and, if the patient is capable of making…
RCW 70.122.070 Effects of carrying out directive—Insurance.
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(1) The withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from a qualified patient pursuant to the patient's directive in accordance with the provisions of this chapter shall not, for any purpose, constitute a suicide or a homicide.(2) The making of a directive pursuant to R…
RCW 70.122.080 Effects of carrying out directive on cause of death.
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The act of withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment, when done pursuant to a directive described in RCW 70.122.030 and which results in the death of the declarer, shall not be construed to be an intervening force or to affect the chain of proximate cause between the c…
RCW 70.122.090 Criminal conduct—Penalties.
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(1) Any person who willfully conceals, cancels, defaces, obliterates, or damages the directive of another without such declarer's consent is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.(2) Any person who falsifies or forges the directive of another, or willfully conceals or withholds personal …
RCW 70.122.100 Mercy killing, lethal injection, or active euthanasia not authorized.
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Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to condone, authorize, or approve mercy killing, lethal injection, or active euthanasia.[ 2009 c 1 s 25 (Initiative Measure No. 1000, approved November 4, 2008); 1992 c 98 s 10; 1979 c 112 s 11.]Notes:Short title—Effective dates—2009 c 1…
RCW 70.122.110 Discharge so that patient may die at home.
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If a qualified patient capable of making health care decisions indicates that he or she wishes to die at home, the patient shall be discharged as soon as reasonably possible. The health care provider or facility has an obligation to explain the medical risks of an immediate disch…
RCW 70.122.120 Directive's validity assumed.
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Any person or health facility may assume that a directive complies with this chapter and is valid.[ 1992 c 98 s 12.]
RCW 70.122.130 Health care declarations registry—Rules—Report.
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(1) The department of health shall establish and maintain a statewide health care declarations registry containing the health care declarations identified in subsection (2) of this section as submitted by residents of Washington. The department shall digitally reproduce and store…
RCW 70.122.900 Short title—1979 c 112.
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This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Natural Death Act".[ 1979 c 112 s 1.]
RCW 70.122.910 Construction.
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This chapter shall not be construed as providing the exclusive means by which individuals may make decisions regarding their health treatment, including but not limited to, the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, nor limiting the means provided by case law mor…
RCW 70.122.915 Application—1992 c 98.
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A directive executed anytime before June 11, 1992, which generally complies with chapter 98, Laws of 1992 is effective under chapter 98, Laws of 1992.[ 1992 c 98 s 13.]
RCW 70.122.925 Construction—Chapter applicable to state registered domestic partnerships—2009 c 521.
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For the purposes of this chapter, the terms spouse, marriage, marital, husband, wife, widow, widower, next of kin, and family shall be interpreted as applying equally to state registered domestic partnerships or individuals in state registered domestic partnerships as well as to …