---
type: "Bill"
title: "Protecting patients in facilities regulated by the department of health by establishing uniform enforcement tools."
description: "Protecting patients in facilities regulated by the department of health by establishing uniform enforcement tools."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2023-2024"
identifier: "SB 5271"
citation: "Washington SB 5271 (2023-2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Cleveland"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 43
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2023-01-11"
last_action: "2024-03-15"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f23fd108-24b9-4715-8ddd-ab82f93317fc"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5271&year=2023"
source_hash: "31eaac44752d4db04460808ade0b3e1ca8643d8b236fa5bfab020791557b0402"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-wa"]
---

# Washington SB 5271 (2023-2024) — Protecting patients in facilities regulated by the department of health by establishing uniform enforcement tools.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5271.htm)
2. **Engrossed Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5271-S.E.htm)
3. **Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5271-S.htm)
4. **Substitute Passed Legislature** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Passed%20Legislature/5271-S.PL.htm)

## Votes

- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#33) — **61–35** (pass) · lower
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#8) — **29–20** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Cleveland — primary (person)
- C. Wilson — cosponsor (person)
- Kuderer — cosponsor (person)
- Nobles — cosponsor (person)
- Robinson — cosponsor (person)
- Wellman — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2023-01-11** First reading, referred to Health & Long Term Care. `reading-1`
- **2023-01-26** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care at 10:30 AM.
- **2023-02-07** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care at 8:00 AM.
- **2023-02-07** HLTC - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `substitution`
- **2023-02-07** And refer to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-07** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-02-08** Referred to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-21** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 9:00 AM.
- **2023-02-23** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 9:00 AM.
- **2023-02-23** WM - Majority; do pass 1st substitute bill proposed by Health & Long Term Care. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-02-23** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-02-23** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-02-24** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2023-03-06** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. `reading-2`
- **2023-03-10** Senate Rules "X" file.
- **2024-01-08** By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
- **2024-01-08** On motion, referred to Rules.
- **2024-01-17** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. `reading-2`
- **2024-01-24** 1st substitute bill substituted (HLTC 23). `substitution`
- **2024-01-24** Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- **2024-01-24** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2024-01-24** Third reading, passed; yeas, 29; nays, 20; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2024-02-05** First reading, referred to Health Care & Wellness. `reading-1`
- **2024-02-16** Public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 8:00 AM.
- **2024-02-20** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 1:30 PM.
- **2024-02-20** HCW - Majority; do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-02-20** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2024-02-20** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2024-02-21** Referred to Appropriations. `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-23** Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 1:30 PM.
- **2024-02-26** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 10:30 AM.
- **2024-02-26** APP - Majority; do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-02-26** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2024-02-26** Referred to Rules 2 Review. `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-28** Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading. `reading-2`
- **2024-02-29** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2024-02-29** Third reading, passed; yeas, 61; nays, 35; absent, 0; excused, 2. `reading-3`
- **2024-03-05** President signed. `passage`
- **2024-03-06** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2024-03-08** Delivered to Governor. `executive-receipt`
- **2024-03-15** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2024-03-15** Chapter 121, 2024 Laws. `became-law`
- **2024-03-15** Effective date 6/6/2024. `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/f23fd108-24b9-4715-8ddd-ab82f93317fc`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).