HB 1943
In CommitteeHouse
Blood donation/school instr.
Encouraging public school instruction in awareness of blood donation.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill requires Washington public high schools to include blood donation awareness instruction in required health classes starting in the 2025–26 school year, building on existing requirements for bone marrow donation education. It also allows younger students to receive age-appropriate versions of the same lesson, with support from national and local donation organizations.
- Starting in the 2025–26 school year, high schools must include instruction on blood donation awareness in at least one required health class for graduation.
- Instruction must be provided by or in partnership with nationally recognized organizations such as the American Red Cross, Bloodworks Northwest, or America's Blood Centers.
- The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction must post links to approved instruction programs on its website.
- Schools may adapt the instruction for students in grades K–8 to be age-appropriate.
- Schools may deliver the instruction themselves or through community-based providers, and it does not need to be taught by certified teachers.
Who is affected
- High school students (grades 9–12) — Students in grades 9–12 will have the opportunity to receive formal instruction about blood donation as part of their required health class for graduation, starting in the 2025–26 school year.
- Elementary and middle school students (grades K–8) — Students in grades K–8 may receive age-appropriate lessons about blood donation, helping build early awareness and interest in community health.
- Public schools and school districts — School districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools must ensure access to approved instruction programs and may partner with community organizations to deliver the content.
- Blood and marrow donation organizations — Organizations like the American Red Cross, Bloodworks Northwest, and other nationally recognized blood or marrow donation agencies will provide or support the instructional materials used in schools.
Pro/Con Analysis
Potential Benefits (2)
Increases long-term blood supply stability by cultivating future donors among youth, which supports public safety and emergency medical readiness—especially critical in rural areas with documented blood shortages and during seasonal or crisis-related shortages. This benefits patients across Washington who rely on transfusions (e.g., cancer patients, trauma victims, childbirth complications).
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 1, Sec. 2(1)Builds civic health literacy early by introducing age-appropriate blood donation awareness in K–8, fostering community responsibility and health agency—particularly valuable for students in underserved communities with limited access to health education outside school.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 1, Sec. 2(3)
Potential Concerns (3)
Adds a new mandatory instruction requirement to an already crowded health curriculum without providing additional funding or curriculum time, potentially crowding out other high-priority health topics (e.g., mental health, substance use prevention, sexual health) or requiring teachers to repurpose existing content.
EducationRef: Sec. 2(1), (2)(a)Allows non-certified community providers to deliver instruction, which may reduce instructional quality if not properly vetted or aligned with state health education standards—particularly concerning sensitive topics like eligibility criteria for donation, which require medically accurate and age-appropriate framing.
EducationRef: Sec. 2(4)Mandates use of specific donor organizations (e.g., American Red Cross, Bloodworks Northwest), which may limit pedagogical flexibility and create de facto partnerships that prioritize organizational branding over comprehensive, evidence-based health education—including potential conflicts of interest if organizations omit discussion of donation risks or systemic barriers to eligibility (e.g., BMI, travel, immigration status).
EducationRef: Sec. 2(2)(a)
Who Is Most Affected
Students gain early awareness of blood donation as a civic health behavior; those from historically underrepresented groups (e.g., Black, Latino, Indigenous communities) may benefit disproportionately if the instruction includes education on equitable access and eligibility, potentially increasing donor diversity and addressing transfusion disparities.
Schools gain a low-cost, community-partnered way to meet health education requirements, but must allocate instructional time and coordinate with external providers—costs are likely minimal but could strain already-overburdened health teachers in districts without existing partnerships.
Major blood organizations (e.g., Red Cross, Bloodworks Northwest) gain access to a captive audience of young people and potential future donors, strengthening long-term donor pipelines and public goodwill—though they bear no fiscal cost for curriculum development or delivery.
Families benefit indirectly from a more robust, reliable blood supply and from students returning home with increased health literacy, but no direct financial or legal impact is expected.
Patients needing transfusions (e.g., those with sickle cell disease, cancer, or trauma) benefit from a future increase in donor pool diversity and volume—reducing wait times and improving supply resilience during shortages.