(The Center Square) – No-cost insurance coverage for vaccines in Washington state will soon hinge on a recommendation from the Department of Health rather than federal guidance under a bill passed by the Legislature on Thursday, as the Trump administration narrows childhood immunization schedules.
The legislation came at the request of Gov. Bob Ferguson, who argues that federal vaccine guidance is becoming politicized under the Trump administration. Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rolled back recommendations for childhood vaccines, including the flu, hepatitis and more.
“Donald Trump’s CDC has become a political tool that increasingly peddles ideology,” Ferguson wrote in a news release. “We must protect Washingtonians’ health from the chaos of the federal government.”
The decision, ushered in after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services replaced everyone on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices last year, also affects other vaccines. Ferguson launched a West Coast vaccine alliance in September in response, and several states are now suing.
The alliance forwards recommendations independent of the CDC and ACIP, while the passage of House Bill 2242 on Thursday now shifts the trigger for no-cost insurance coverage to DOH recommendations.
“We are prioritizing the restoration of public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda,” HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy said in June. “The public must know that unbiased science — evaluated through a transparent process and insulated from conflicts of interest — guides the [CDC’s] recommendations.”
The majority of ACIP members were appointed in 2024 under the Biden administration. HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill said last fall that blanket recommendations for COVID-19 shots deterred health care providers from discussing risks with patients. He said recent changes restored informed consent.
HB 2242 passed the state House earlier this month along party lines, but seven Republicans crossed the aisle in support on Thursday, signaling bipartisan support. Sen. Ron Muzzall, R-Oak Harbor, was the only minority member to speak to the bill, simply confirming “there are no mandates in this bill.”
According to a bill report, “DOH must consider the recommendations of ACIP and experts and expert organizations that DOH deems relevant and based on reasonable scientific evidence and judgment.”
Rep. Matt Marshall, R-Eatonville, testified against HB 2242 earlier this month, calling it a power grab.
“This bill grants DOH discretion to choose which experts they listen to,” Marshall said on the House floor. “DOH could shop for experts that would support whatever their position was. I’m also concerned at how the DOH could unilaterally just make a decision and compel insurance mandates on vaccines.”
The House passed an amendment earlier this month that explicitly states the intent is not to create new vaccine requirements, including for children. The bill is about what insurance must cover for plans issued/renewed on or after April 1, ensuring that preventive services remain subsidized by premiums.
The bill also ensures coverage for other preventive services, such as screenings for cancer, HIV, and other diseases in newborns, children and adults, in accordance with federal guidance as of June 30, 2025.
The 2010 Affordable Care Act required no-cost coverage for vaccines as recommended by ACIP, which Washington state law also codified in 2018. HB 2242 allows Washingtonians under plans regulated by the state Office of the Insurance Commissioner to continue receiving those immunizations at no cost.
“These are important services for people who choose to use them,” state Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer wrote Thursday. “This bill ensures that the recommendations will continue to come from trained medical experts, rather than political appointees with no background in medicine or science.”
The bill now heads to the governor’s desk for Ferguson’s signature.
