HB 1496 Washington House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Strengthening patients' rights regarding their health care information.

HB 1496 limits fees health care providers can charge patients for accessing their medical records. It sets a $50 maximum fee for patients, their legal representatives, treating providers, or designated advocates, and prohibits per-page charges. The bill requires the state department to establish fee standards based on actual costs of searching records, not arbitrary rates. These changes directly affect patients seeking their own health information and their authorized representatives.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 12, 2026 Last action Feb 19, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill → Substitute Bill · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill was updated to reflect its progression from introduction to a substitute version, changing the legislative session from 2025 to 2026 and adding committee sponsorship details. The most significant substantive change is the addition of an expiration date for the new fee restrictions, ensuring the $50 cap on electronic health records applies only until June 30, 2027. The bill also clarifies that the fee limit applies specifically to electronically stored records delivered in electronic format, while maintaining the existing fee structure for paper records.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on patient access to health care information, but the applicability of the new fee restrictions is now time-limited to June 30, 2027.

TIMELINE

The legislative session was updated from the 2025 Regular Session to the 2026 Regular Session, and the bill was referred to the Health Care & Wellness Committee.

New sections were added to establish that the act's fee restrictions expire on June 30, 2027, and the new definitions take effect on that same date.

REQUIREMENT

The fee cap for accessing health records was clarified to apply only to records stored and delivered electronically, distinguishing them from paper records which retain the previous fee structure.

The list of individuals who can receive electronic health records for free was narrowed to include only the patient, their representative, a licensed attorney, and a designated community advocate, removing other categories like guardians and other providers.

DEFINITION

The bill now explicitly references the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) when defining exceptions to the fee charging rules.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 4, 2026

Committee

Referred to Rules 2 Review.

lower

Feb 4, 2026

Lower · Passed

Committee relieved of further consideration.

lower

Feb 3, 2026

Committee

Referred to Appropriations.

lower

Jan 30, 2026

Lower · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

lower

Jan 30, 2026

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 8:00 AM.

lower

Jan 16, 2026

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 8:00 AM.

lower

Jan 12, 2026

Introduced

By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.

lower

1 primary · 16 co-sponsors