S-3492.1
SENATE BILL 5840
State of Washington 67th Legislature 2022 Regular Session
By Senators Keiser, Das, Hasegawa, Robinson, and C. Wilson
Read first time 01/12/22. Referred to Committee on Health & Long
Term Care.
1 AN ACT Relating to language requirements for prescription drug
2 labels; and adding a new section to chapter 18.64 RCW.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
4 NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 18.64
5 RCW to read as follows:
6 (1) Beginning January 1, 2023, upon the request of a patient,
7 patient's representative, or prescriber, a pharmacy or nonresident
8 pharmacy licensed under this chapter shall provide translated
9 directions for use and the prescription drug's side effects, if the
10 language requested is one of the languages selected by the commission
11 in subsection (2) of this section. The translated version and English
12 language version of the directions for use and side effects must
13 appear on the prescription container or label.
14 (2) The commission shall determine the languages for which
15 translation is required.
16 (a) The commission must consider the percent of the population in
17 Washington that speaks the language, that population's access to
18 health care, and principles of equity when determining which
19 languages to provide translations for and must choose 15 languages.
p. 1 SB 5840
 1 (b) Every five years the commission must reassess and update the
2 languages as needed based upon the factors listed in (a) of this
3 subsection.
4 (3) The commission shall:
5 (a) Make translations of directions for use and common side
6 effects available in the languages the commission determines under
7 subsection (2) of this section; and
8 (b) Develop signage to notify the public of the availability or
9 the translation service that pharmacies must post.
10 (4) The commission may contract with a state or nonstate entity
11 to complete the translations required under this section.
12 (5) A pharmacy or nonresident pharmacy is not required to provide
13 translated directions for use and side effects beyond the languages
14 and translations that the commission has made available.
15 (6) A pharmacy may provide its own translated directions for use
16 and side effects to comply with the requirements of this section.
17 Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a pharmacy
18 from providing translated directions for use or side effects beyond
19 the languages the commission has selected or beyond the directions
20 for use or side effects that the commission has made available in
21 translated form.
22 (7) The pharmacy or nonresident pharmacy shall be responsible
23 only for the accuracy of the English language directions for use and
24 side effects provided to the patient. A pharmacy, nonresident
25 pharmacy, or pharmacist may not be held liable for relying in good
26 faith on the translated directions for use or side effects provided
27 by the commission or for providing translated directions beyond those
28 the commission has made available if the translation was provided in
29 good faith.
--- END ---
p. 2 SB 5840