Rep. Jamila Taylor advances new laws to protect vulnerable communities and end-of-life rights

Rep. Jamila Taylor advances new laws to protect vulnerable communities and end-of-life rights 
The Seattle Medium, Olympia, WA; by The Seattle Medium; 4/18/25 
In a landmark legislative moment for Washington’s most vulnerable residents, Rep. Jamila Taylor (D-Federal Way) secured the passage of two major bills signed into law by Governor Bob Ferguson on April 16. Together, the laws modernize background checks for caregivers and ensure that all individuals—regardless of pregnancy status—retain full autonomy over their end-of-life healthcare decisions.

• [1] ... Rep. Taylor’s legislation, House Bill 1385, takes direct aim at one of the biggest barriers to filling [the shortage of qualified caregiver] roles: slow and outdated background check processes. The new law enables the Washington State Patrol to formally join 35 other states in implementing the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact, allowing for faster, more secure interstate sharing of criminal history records. ...
• [2] ... Taylor’s second legislative victory—House Bill 1215—confronts a long-standing equity issue in healthcare law. Until now, Washington’s advance directive form included a pregnancy clause that effectively invalidated a person’s end-of-life wishes if they were pregnant. HB 1215 removes that exclusion, ensuring that pregnancy does not override a person’s legally documented healthcare decisions.