Running head: POLICY BRIEF 1

HB 1003 Policy Brief

Lacey Ruby
Western Washington University
NURS 412: Policy and Leadership

William Lonneman DNP, RN

March 6, 2017
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Introduction
HB 1003 (2017) is a house bill currently in committee attempting to change current law

and practice by reducing a womans right to privacy and self-determination in relation to

abortion if the pregnant female is under the age of 18 or deemed otherwise mentally

incompetent. HB 1003 (2017) affects females who are under eighteen, medical providers, nurses,

and parents in the state of Washington.

Background
The current laws as they are enacted were revised based off of a Washington State

Supreme Court ruling that stated Subjection of a minor woman's decision to terminate an

unwanted pregnancy to absolute and potentially arbitrary parental veto clearly constitutes a

substantial burden on her rights similar to those held unconstitutional in Roe and Doe (State v.

Koome, 1975). Currently a minor of any age can consent to abortion without parental

interference or notification in the state of Washington and retains the right to privacy. HB 1003

(2017), if passed, requires medical professionals to notify parents or legal guardians of pregnant

women who are under 18 or otherwise mentally incompetent within 48 hours of the pregnant

woman voicing her choice to abort her pregnancy.

Concerned Women for America supports this bill because they feel that parents should be

involved in making health decisions with their daughters and should be able to support their

daughters during the decision process (CWA Legislative Action Committee, 2017).
While this bills wording suggests that it is about parental rights, some stakeholders

disagree and label it specifically as an anti-abortion bill (Becker, 2017). Washington State

Medical Association (WSMA) groups this bill with two other house bills and a senate bill as anti-

abortion and oppose all four of the bills. WSMA states: All of these bills would place

restrictions on an abortion, whether by requiring parental notification, criminalization, or

establishing reporting requirements for intended abortions. The WSMA has policy against these
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limitations on abortion, and therefore opposes these bills (Washington State Medical

Association, 2017).
Recommendations
It is not the responsibility of the state to limit the rights of minors. Prima facie, the

constitutional rights of minors, including the right of privacy, are coextensive with those of

adults (State v. Koome, 1975). A pregnant woman, regardless of age, has a right to privacy that

includes the right to abortion.

Washington State Supreme Court ruled that removing or limiting the right of a woman to

choose to have or not to have a child was detrimental to her well-being, and virtually every one

of these problems and risks is magnified where the pregnant woman is underage (State v.

Koome, 1975). For these reasons, it is recommended to vote no on HB 1003. Voting against this

bill will keep the right of privacy legal for minors in the state of Washington and cause no fiscal

or legislative change.
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References
Becker, O. (2017, 12 1). Vice News. Retrieved from At least 46 anti-abortion bills are already in

front of state legislatures : https://news.vice.com/story/at-least-46-anti-abortion-bills-are-

already-in-front-of-state-legislatures-in-2017
CWA Legislative Action Committee. (2017, 2 3). Concerned Women for America. Retrieved

from Category Washington: http://www.concernedwomen.org/category/washington/

HB 1003. (2017). 65th Legislature, Washington State.
State v. Koome, 84 Wn.2d 901 (The Supreme Court of Washington, En Banc. January 7, 1975).
Washington State Medical Association. (2017, 8 2). Washington State Medical Association.

Retrieved from Update on WSMA priority policy as legistlative session enters week five:

https://wsma.org/wcm/For_Members/Membership_Memo_Content/Membership_Memo_

Issues/February_8_issue/Update_on_WSMA_priority_policy_as_legislative_session_ent

ers_week_five.aspx