State Board of Health (RCW 43.20)

The State Board of Health is comprised of ten members:

  • The secretary or their designee, 
  • four persons experienced in matters of health and sanitation,
    • at least one health official from a federally recognized Tribe,
  • elected city official who is a member of a local health board,
  • an elected county official who is a member of a local health board,
  • a local health officer,
  • two people representing consumers of health care.

The department of health shall provide necessary technical staff support to the board.

Area Authority
Health policy development Forum creation, hearing conduct, committee establishment
Rulemaking Water systems, disease control, environmental health, quarantine, sewage
Enforcement Mandated compliance by local/state officers; fines for non-compliance
Delegation Rulemaking authority can be delegated to the Secretary of Health
Advisory Advises the Secretary on broader health policy

The State Board of Health has broad regulatory and policy-setting power over public health standards, especially in water quality, environmental health, disease control, and emergency response, and its rules are binding on all local and state officials.

For further information about the State Board of Health's power and responsibilities, please see RCW 43.20.050.

Department of Health (RCW 43.70)

This law creates the Department of Health, outlines how it should be structured and managed, and defines the Secretary of Health’s responsibilities—including hiring, rulemaking, public engagement, partnerships, and delivering family and public health services across Washington State.

The department shall provide leadership and coordination in identifying and resolving threats to the public health by:

  • Working with local health departments and local governments,

  • Creating intervention strategies for health threats,

  • Giving expert advice to the executive and legislative branches of state government,

  • Enforcing rules fairly and effectively,

  • Coordinating with other agencies at all levels,

  • Informing the public, and

  • Taking any other actions needed to protect health.

For further information about the Department of Health's creation and founding responsibilities, please see RCW 43.70.020.

Statewide Health Resources Strategy (RCW 43.370)

The Office of Financial Management (OFM) will:

  • Coordinate public and private efforts to improve health care quality, reduce costs, and plan for health facilities and services.

  • Support access to health data from public and private sources for planning purposes.

Specifically, OFM will:

  • Lead strategic health planning activities.

  • Develop or contract a computerized system to analyze and share health data.

  • Access health licensing data while following confidentiality laws.

  • Conduct or commission research to support the statewide health strategy.

The Department of Health will oversee all Certificate of Needs updates as they come from OFM (RCW 43.370.040). 

Statewide health resources strategy—Consistency—Waivers (RCW 70.38.018)

The department may waive specific terms of the strategy if the applicant demonstrates that consistency with those terms will create an undue burden on the population that a particular project would serve, or in emergency circumstances which pose a threat to public health.