SB 5321 Washington Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Concerning access at public postsecondary educational institutions to medication abortion.

This bill requires Washington's public colleges and universities to ensure students have access to medication abortion by the 2026-27 academic year. It mandates that student health centers offer medication abortion services (via in-person care, telehealth, or referrals) and directs institutions without health centers to provide referrals to qualified providers, telehealth support, and campus accommodations. Schools must also maintain clear online resources about reproductive health services, including appointment scheduling, academic accommodations for pregnancy-related needs, and direct links to state health resources. The law directly affects over 196,000 pregnancy-capable students at Washington's public institutions, aiming to reduce barriers like travel distances (up to 78 miles) and wait times for abortion care.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 12, 2026 Last action Jan 12, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill Substitute Bill · 2 edits
MINOR
The bill was amended to update the reading date and sponsor attribution, and to add a specific requirement for institutions to include a direct link to the state Department of Health's abortion information page on their health services websites. This change strengthens the bill's mandate by ensuring students have a standardized, official resource for abortion care information alongside other campus health resources.
Scope change
The bill's scope regarding the types of information institutions must provide on their websites was expanded to include a specific link to state health department resources.
TECHNICAL

Updated the bill header to reflect the new reading date (01/31/25) and changed the sponsor attribution to list the Senate committee rather than individual names.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new subsection requiring all public institutions of higher education to include an unbroken link and accurate description directing students to the abortion page on the Department of Health's website.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
8
Key actions
3
Committee
5
Jan 12, 2026
Introduced
By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
upper
Jan 31, 2025
Committee
Referred to Ways & Means.
upper
Jan 30, 2025
Upper · Passed
Minority; do not pass.
upper
Jan 30, 2025
Committee
And refer to Ways & Means.
upper
Jan 30, 2025
Upper · Passed
Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development at 1:30 PM.
upper
Jan 27, 2025
Upper · Passed
Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development at 10:30 AM.
upper
1 primary · 18 co-sponsors

Sponsors