This bill creates a new chapter in Title 28B RCW (sections 1–3) establishing legal requirements for public institutions of higher education and their student health centers related to access to medication abortion and reproductive health information. It is a new law that requires each student health center to offer access to medication abortion by the start of the 2027–28 academic year, either through a public program that connects Washington patients to reproductive health services, through a formal agreement with a safety net abortion provider that has telehealth capability, or by other available methods. Student health centers that do not offer medication abortion services prior to the act’s effective date must adopt the most cost-effective option to provide them. The bill also requires public institutions that do not operate student health centers to provide information and referral services for medication abortion and to train current student support staff on available public referral resources by the same 2027–28 deadline. All public institutions must keep a comprehensive health services webpage on an existing website with clear reproductive health information, including prenatal care and options for pregnancy termination, scheduling and contact details, links to campus academic accommodation resources, and an unbroken link to the Department of Health’s abortion page in its sexual and reproductive health section. Definitions and affected actors are specified: “Council” means the Washington student achievement council, “medication abortion” is defined by reference to RCW 69.41.050, “public institution of higher education” is defined by reference to RCW 28B.10.016, and “safety net abortion provider” means a provider contracted with the Department of Health’s sexual and reproductive health program. The bill identifies the Washington student achievement council, the Department of Health’s sexual and reproductive health program, public institutions, student health centers, safety net providers, students (about 196,000 pregnancy-capable students), and current student support staff as affected. The bill was read in the House on 01/16/26 and was referred to the House Committee on Postsecondary Education & Workforce. The text provided does not state the act’s effective date, does not define “other available methods,” does not identify the single campus currently offering medication abortion services, and does not include implementation details such as funding, enforcement, reporting, or oversight mechanisms.

If enacted, public colleges and universities will have to make medication abortion accessible through their student health centers by the 2027–28 academic year or, if they don’t run a health center, provide clear information and referral services and train current student support staff on public referral options. Campus health centers will need to either connect into a public reproductive health program, sign formal agreements with state-contracted safety net abortion providers that can do telehealth, or use other methods to provide access; campuses must also keep a clear reproductive health web page with scheduling, accommodation contacts, and a Department of Health abortion link. Practically, that means health centers and campus offices will take on new service and administrative work, likely incur costs for contracting, telehealth capability, staff training, and web maintenance, and safety net providers and the Department of Health may see more referrals and contracting activity; students (about 196,000 pregnancy-capable attendees) should have more local access and clearer information, reducing some travel and wait barriers. Key details are missing that affect real-world impact: the act’s effective date isn’t stated here, “other available methods” to provide care aren’t defined, and no funding, enforcement, or reporting rules are included, so it’s unclear who pays for new services or how compliance will be tracked.