HB 1784 Washington House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Concerning certified medical assistants.

This bill updates the specific duties that various types of medical assistants, including certified, hemodialysis, phlebotomist, and registered medical assistants, are authorized to perform in Washington state. It details a range of tasks from fundamental procedures like sterilizing equipment and taking vital signs, to more advanced clinical duties such as performing venipuncture, administering certain medications, and assisting with minor office surgeries. The legislation also specifies limitations on these duties, such as restrictions on administering experimental drugs, and outlines supervision requirements by a healthcare practitioner for tasks like establishing intravenous lines or treating syphilis via telemedicine. By defining these roles, the bill impacts medical assistants and the healthcare practitioners who delegate and supervise their work.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Jan 2026

House Passage

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 12, 2026 Last action Mar 12, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Second Substitute Bill → Engrossed Second Substitute Bill · 5 edits · Feb 16, 2026

MODERATE

This bill expands the authority of medical assistants to administer routine immunizations for both adults and children, removes the requirement for perioperative order sets from their delegated tasks, and extends the time allowed for a supervising practitioner to review and countersign orders from 24 to 72 hours. Additionally, the annual training requirement for medical assistants has been simplified to remove specific examples of training content, and a new clause clarifies that these changes do not limit the duties of other medical assistant types.

Scope change

The bill broadens the scope of practice for medical assistants by adding child immunizations to their permitted duties while simultaneously narrowing the scope by removing perioperative order sets from their authorized list.

SCOPE

Expanded permitted duties to include routine immunizations for both adults and children.

Removed perioperative order sets from the list of tasks medical assistants can enter and activate.

TIMELINE

Increased the deadline for a supervising practitioner to review and countersign an order from 24 hours to 72 hours.

REQUIREMENT

Simplified the annual training requirement by removing specific examples of required training topics.

DEFINITION

Added a new provision stating that these changes do not limit the scope or duties of other medical assistant types certified under the chapter.

Floor votes · House Feb 16, 2026

How they voted

98–0

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 100

Feb 16, 2026

D Democratic61

59 Yea 2

96% Yea

R Republican39

39 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 16, 2026

Lower · Passed

Floor amendment(s) adopted.

lower

Jan 30, 2026

Committee

Referred to Rules 2 Review.

lower

Jan 28, 2026

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 1:30 PM.

lower

Jan 12, 2026

Committee

Referred to Health Care & Wellness.

lower

Jan 12, 2026

Lower · Passed

Rules Committee relieved of further consideration.

lower

Jan 12, 2026

Introduced

By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.

lower

Mar 20, 2025

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care at 8:00 AM.

upper

Feb 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to Rules 2 Review.

lower

Feb 18, 2025

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 1:30 PM.

lower

Feb 11, 2025

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 1:30 PM.

lower

1 primary · 3 co-sponsors