---
type: "Bill"
title: "Producing, distributing, and purchasing generic prescription drugs."
description: "Producing, distributing, and purchasing generic prescription drugs."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2021-2022"
identifier: "SB 5203"
citation: "Washington SB 5203 (2021-2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["DRUGS", "HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Van De Wege"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 53
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2021-01-13T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2021-05-12T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/0d668efe-ee7f-49e4-8fd4-c7f0a7de256b"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5203&year=2021"
source_hash: "ff9e9bbef7117ded402b6500ac0c10d2f8234f2a195bba51939753ba4b6c7904"
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 5203 (2021-2022) — Producing, distributing, and purchasing generic prescription drugs.

## 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/2021-22/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5203.htm)
2. **Engrossed Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2021-22/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5203-S.E.htm)
3. **Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2021-22/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5203-S.htm)

## Votes

- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#13) — **66–31** (pass) · lower
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#12) — **28–21** (pass) · upper
- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#4) — **28–21** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Van De Wege — primary (person)
- C. Wilson — cosponsor (person)
- Carlyle — cosponsor (person)
- Frockt — cosponsor (person)
- Hasegawa — cosponsor (person)
- Keiser — cosponsor (person)
- Liias — cosponsor (person)
- Nguyen — cosponsor (person)
- Randall — cosponsor (person)
- Robinson — cosponsor (person)
- Salomon — cosponsor (person)
- Stanford — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-01-13T05:00:00+00:00** First reading, referred to Health & Long Term Care. `reading-1`
- **2021-01-22T05:00:00+00:00** Public hearing scheduled, but not heard in the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care at 8:00 AM.
- **2021-01-29T05:00:00+00:00** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care at 8:00 AM.
- **2021-02-03T05:00:00+00:00** Executive session scheduled, but no action was taken in the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care at 8:00 AM.
- **2021-02-05T05:00:00+00:00** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care at 8:00 AM.
- **2021-02-05T05:00:00+00:00** HLTC - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2021-02-05T05:00:00+00:00** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2021-02-05T05:00:00+00:00** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2021-02-05T05:00:00+00:00** And refer to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-08T05:00:00+00:00** Referred to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-19T05:00:00+00:00** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 9:00 AM.
- **2021-02-22T05:00:00+00:00** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 9:30 AM.
- **2021-02-22T05:00:00+00:00** WM - Majority; do pass 1st substitute bill proposed by Health & Long Term Care. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-02-22T05:00:00+00:00** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2021-02-22T05:00:00+00:00** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2021-02-22T05:00:00+00:00** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2021-02-25T05:00:00+00:00** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. `reading-2`
- **2021-03-04T05:00:00+00:00** 1st substitute bill substituted (HLTC 21). `substitution`
- **2021-03-04T05:00:00+00:00** Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- **2021-03-04T05:00:00+00:00** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2021-03-04T05:00:00+00:00** Third reading, passed; yeas, 28; nays, 21; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2021-03-06T05:00:00+00:00** First reading, referred to Health Care & Wellness. `reading-1`
- **2021-03-18T04:00:00+00:00** Public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 10:00 AM.
- **2021-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 8:00 AM.
- **2021-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** HCW - Majority; do pass with amendment(s). `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2021-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2021-03-25T04:00:00+00:00** Referred to Appropriations. `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-30T04:00:00+00:00** Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 1:30 PM.
- **2021-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 1:30 PM.
- **2021-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** APP - Majority; do pass with amendment(s) by Health Care & Wellness. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2021-04-02T04:00:00+00:00** Referred to Rules 2 Review. `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-06T04:00:00+00:00** Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading. `reading-2`
- **2021-04-07T04:00:00+00:00** Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.
- **2021-04-07T04:00:00+00:00** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2021-04-07T04:00:00+00:00** Third reading, passed; yeas, 66; nays, 31; absent, 0; excused, 1. `reading-3`
- **2021-04-21T04:00:00+00:00** Senate concurred in House amendments.
- **2021-04-21T04:00:00+00:00** Passed final passage; yeas, 28; nays, 21; absent, 0; excused, 0. `passage`
- **2021-04-23T04:00:00+00:00** President signed. `passage`
- **2021-04-24T04:00:00+00:00** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2021-04-26T04:00:00+00:00** Delivered to Governor. `executive-receipt`
- **2021-05-12T04:00:00+00:00** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2021-05-12T04:00:00+00:00** Chapter 274, 2021 Laws. `became-law`
- **2021-05-12T04:00:00+00:00** Effective date 7/25/2021. `became-law`
- **2021-01-29T13:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care at 08:00 AM
- **2021-02-05T13:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care at 08:00 AM
- **2021-02-19T14:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 09:00 AM
- **2021-02-22T14:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 09:30 AM
- **2021-03-18T14:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 10:00 AM
- **2021-03-24T12:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 08:00 AM
- **2021-03-30T17:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 01:30 PM
- **2021-03-31T17:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 01:30 PM

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/0d668efe-ee7f-49e4-8fd4-c7f0a7de256b`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).