republic-os/legislation/us/states/wa/2021-2022/hb-1689.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Exempting biomarker testing from prior authorization for patients with late stage cancer."
description: "Exempting biomarker testing from prior authorization for patients with late stage cancer."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2021-2022"
identifier: "HB 1689"
citation: "Washington HB 1689 (2021-2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["HEALTH AND SAFETY", "PUBLIC", "HEALTH CARE", "INSURANCE"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Walen"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 33
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2022-01-10T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2022-12-22T05:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/0d08dc20-0f74-4f35-b306-aef54163f54a"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1689&year=2021"
source_hash: "d716ccf34523f9eb29281b177891a54458cbb320fae71cd0a29bee6763b4945d"
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 HB 1689 (2021-2022) — Exempting biomarker testing from prior authorization for patients with late stage cancer.

## 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/House%20Bills/1689.htm)
2. **Engrossed Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2021-22/Htm/Bills/House%20Bills/1689-S.E.htm)
3. **Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2021-22/Htm/Bills/House%20Bills/1689-S.htm)

## Votes

- 3rd Reading & Final Passage as Amended by the Senate (#18) — **48–0** (pass) · upper
- Final Passage as Amended by the Senate (#27) — **97–1** (pass) · lower
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#2) — **95–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Walen — primary (person)
- Davis — cosponsor (person)
- Duerr — cosponsor (person)
- Graham — cosponsor (person)
- Harris — cosponsor (person)
- Leavitt — cosponsor (person)
- Slatter — cosponsor (person)
- Tharinger — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2022-12-22T05:00:00+00:00** Prefiled for introduction. `filing`
- **2022-01-10T05:00:00+00:00** First reading, referred to Health Care & Wellness. `reading-1`
- **2022-01-13T05:00:00+00:00** Public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 10:00 AM.
- **2022-01-26T05:00:00+00:00** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 8:00 AM.
- **2022-01-26T05:00:00+00:00** HCW - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2022-01-27T05:00:00+00:00** Referred to Rules 2 Review. `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-01T05:00:00+00:00** Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading. `reading-2`
- **2022-02-08T05:00:00+00:00** 1st substitute bill substituted (HCW 22). `substitution`
- **2022-02-08T05:00:00+00:00** Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- **2022-02-08T05:00:00+00:00** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2022-02-08T05:00:00+00:00** Third reading, passed; yeas, 95; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 3. `reading-3`
- **2022-02-10T05:00:00+00:00** First reading, referred to Health & Long Term Care. `reading-1`
- **2022-02-21T05:00:00+00:00** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care at 1:00 PM.
- **2022-02-23T05:00:00+00:00** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care at 8:00 AM.
- **2022-02-23T05:00:00+00:00** HLTC - Majority; do pass with amendment(s). `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-02-23T05:00:00+00:00** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2022-02-24T05:00:00+00:00** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2022-03-02T05:00:00+00:00** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. `reading-2`
- **2022-03-04T05:00:00+00:00** Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.
- **2022-03-04T05:00:00+00:00** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2022-03-04T05:00:00+00:00** Third reading, passed; yeas, 48; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 1. `reading-3`
- **2022-03-07T05:00:00+00:00** House concurred in Senate amendments.
- **2022-03-07T05:00:00+00:00** Passed final passage; yeas, 97; nays, 1; absent, 0; excused, 0. `passage`
- **2022-03-08T05:00:00+00:00** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2022-03-10T05:00:00+00:00** President signed. `passage`
- **2022-03-10T05:00:00+00:00** Delivered to Governor. `executive-receipt`
- **2022-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2022-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** Chapter 123, 2022 Laws. `became-law`
- **2022-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** Effective date 6/9/2022. `became-law`
- **2022-01-13T15:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 10:00 AM
- **2022-01-26T13:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 08:00 AM
- **2022-02-21T18:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care at 01:00 PM
- **2022-02-23T13:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care at 08:00 AM

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/0d08dc20-0f74-4f35-b306-aef54163f54a`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).