HB 2657
In CommitteeHouse
Abortion savings program
Establishing an abortion savings program.
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 creates the abortion savings program to fund grants for abortion clinical care services for people without sufficient resources, funded by annual assessments on health carriers offering plans on Washington’s health benefit exchange. It also establishes a dedicated state account for these funds and updates the state’s investment earnings distribution law to include the new account.
- Creates the 'abortion savings program' to provide grants for direct patient abortion clinical care services, especially for people who are uninsured, underinsured, or unable to use their insurance due to communication risks.
- Imposes an annual assessment on health carriers offering plans on Washington’s health benefit exchange: $0.82 per coverage month in 2026, then $0.165 per coverage month annually thereafter, due March 1 each year.
- Establishes a new 'abortion savings account' in the state treasury where all assessment revenue, penalties, and interest are deposited; funds may only be spent after appropriation for the abortion savings program.
- Requires the Department of Health to award at least 85% of program funds as grants to eligible organizations (those employing providers authorized to perform abortions), with strict confidentiality protections for staff and patients.
- Includes penalties for late or nonpayment: 5% if unpaid by the due date, 10% after 45 days, 20% after 60 days, plus interest at the legal rate starting 61 days after the due date.
- Includes confidentiality safeguards: identifying information about staff, providers, or patients is protected from public disclosure and cannot be collected beyond what is necessary for program operation.
Who is affected
- Health insurance companies (health carriers) — Health carriers (insurance companies) offering plans on Washington’s health benefit exchange must pay an annual assessment based on the number of coverage months they provide; they cannot pass this cost to consumers through higher premiums.
- Abortion care providers and clinics — Organizations that employ licensed providers who perform abortions may apply for state grants to support abortion care services for people who are uninsured, underinsured, or unable to use their insurance due to communication risks.
- Individuals seeking abortion care, especially those with limited financial means or insurance coverage — Individuals who are uninsured, underinsured, or at risk of exposure due to insurance company communications may gain access to abortion services through state-funded grants to eligible organizations.
- State government and other state accounts/funds — The state treasury will reallocate investment earnings to include the new abortion savings account, potentially affecting how much other state programs receive from investment income.
Pro/Con Analysis
Potential Benefits (4)
The bill creates a state-funded grant program specifically to support abortion clinical care for individuals who are uninsured, underinsured, or unable to use their insurance due to communication risks — a group that includes low-income people, rural residents, and those in politically hostile regions. This directly expands access to time-sensitive reproductive healthcare for people who otherwise could not afford it.
HealthcarePeopleRef: Sec. 2(2)By requiring at least 85% of program funds to be awarded as grants to eligible organizations (e.g., clinics, providers), the bill prioritizes direct patient care over administrative overhead, ensuring most resources reach frontline providers who serve vulnerable populations. This increases service capacity and geographic equity across the state.
HealthcarePeopleRef: Sec. 2(3)The bill funds the program through a modest assessment on health carriers ($0.82 per coverage month in 2026, then $0.165 annually), which translates to roughly $9.84–$1.98 per year for the average individual enrolled in exchange coverage. This is a small, predictable cost that avoids new general-fund taxes and spreads the burden across insurers — not individual consumers.
FinancialRef: Sec. 1(1)The bill establishes a dedicated 'abortion savings account' in the state treasury, ensuring transparency and accountability for how assessment revenue is used. Funds may only be spent after appropriation for the abortion savings program, reducing risk of fiscal mismanagement or diversion to unrelated purposes.
FinancialRef: Sec. 1(7)
Potential Concerns (5)
The bill establishes a dedicated state account and program to fund abortion clinical care services for individuals without sufficient resources, especially the uninsured, underinsured, or those at risk from insurance carrier communications. This improves access to abortion care for low-income and vulnerable populations, reducing financial and logistical barriers to time-sensitive reproductive healthcare.
HealthcarePeopleRef: Sec. 2(2)The bill includes robust confidentiality protections that prohibit the Department of Health from collecting or disclosing identifying information about patients or providers using the program, and explicitly shields such data from public disclosure under the Public Records Act. This strengthens privacy rights for individuals seeking sensitive reproductive care and protects providers from political or legal targeting.
Rights & LibertiesPeopleRef: Sec. 2(4)–(5)The bill imposes an annual assessment on health carriers ($0.82 per coverage month in 2026, then $0.165 annually), but explicitly prohibits carriers from passing this cost to consumers through higher premiums or plan design changes. This prevents direct premium impacts on enrollees, though insurers may adjust pricing or product offerings in response to regulatory burden.
Business & EmploymentRef: Sec. 1(8)The bill includes penalties for late or nonpayment of the assessment (5%–20% depending on delinquency, plus interest), and authorizes revocation of a carrier’s certificate of authority for persistent noncompliance. While this strengthens enforcement, it could disproportionately affect smaller insurers with limited administrative capacity, potentially reducing competition in the exchange marketplace.
Business & EmploymentRef: Sec. 1(3)–(4)The bill amends RCW 43.84.092 to include the new 'abortion savings account' in the list of accounts that receive a proportionate share of state investment earnings based on average daily balance. This ensures the account earns interest like other dedicated funds, but slightly reduces the proportion of investment income available to other accounts — including general fund programs such as education, transportation, and healthcare — especially in years with high market returns.
FinancialRef: Sec. 4–9 (RCW 43.84.092 amendments)
Who Is Most Affected
Insurance companies offering plans on Washington’s health benefit exchange must pay an annual per-member assessment ($0.82 in 2026, then $0.165). While they cannot pass this cost to consumers, they face administrative burden, compliance risk, and potential competitive pressure if smaller carriers struggle to absorb the cost.
Clinics and providers that employ licensed abortion providers may apply for state grants to support direct patient care for underserved individuals. This increases funding for reproductive services, expands service capacity, and supports providers who serve low-income or high-risk patients.
Low-income, uninsured, underinsured, or privacy-vulnerable individuals gain access to state-funded abortion care without needing to use their own insurance or risk exposure through insurer communications. This directly improves reproductive autonomy and health equity.
The state treasury gains a new dedicated account that earns investment income, but other accounts (e.g., education, transportation, general fund) receive slightly less interest revenue as a result. The overall fiscal impact is neutral-to-slightly-negative for state programs not directly tied to health or abortion access.