§ 70.122.020 — Definitions.

Washington § 70.122.020

• Jurisdiction: Washington
• Title 70: PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY
• Ch. 70.122: NATURAL DEATH ACT

Text

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions contained in this section shall apply throughout this chapter.

(1) "Adult person" means a person who has attained the age of majority as defined in RCW 26.28.010 and 26.28.015 , and who has the capacity to make health care decisions.

(2) "Attending physician" means the physician selected by, or assigned to, the patient who has primary responsibility for the treatment and care of the patient.

(3) "Directive" means a written document voluntarily executed by the declarer generally consistent with the guidelines of RCW 70.122.030 .

(4) "Health facility" means a hospital as defined in RCW 70.41.020 or a nursing home as defined in RCW 18.51.010 , a home health agency or hospice agency as defined in RCW 70.126.010 , or an assisted living facility as defined in RCW 18.20.020 .

(5) "Life-sustaining treatment" means any medical or surgical intervention that uses mechanical or other artificial means, including artificially provided nutrition and hydration, to sustain, restore, or replace a vital function, which, when applied to a qualified patient, would serve only to prolong the process of dying. "Life-sustaining treatment" shall not include the administration of medication or the performance of any medical or surgical intervention deemed necessary solely to alleviate pain.

(6) "Permanent unconscious condition" means an incurable and irreversible condition in which the patient is medically assessed within reasonable medical judgment as having no reasonable probability of recovery from an irreversible coma or a persistent vegetative state.

(7) "Physician" means a person licensed under chapter 18.71 or 18.57 RCW.

(8) "Qualified patient" means an adult person who is a patient diagnosed in writing to have a terminal condition by the patient's attending physician, who has personally examined the patient, or a patient who is diagnosed in writing to be in a permanent unconscious condition in accordance with accepted medical standards by two physicians, one of whom is the patient's attending physician, and both of whom have personally examined the patient.

(9) "Terminal condition" means an incurable and irreversible condition caused by injury, disease, or illness, that, within reasonable medical judgment, will cause death within a reasonable period of time in accordance with accepted medical standards, and where the application of life-sustaining treatment serves only to prolong the process of dying.

Explanatory note — 2025 c 58: See note following RCW 1.16.050 .

Application — 2012 c 10: See note following RCW 18.20.010 .

Legislative History

[2025 c 58 s 2040;2012 c 10 s 53;1992 c 98 s 2;1979 c 112 s 3.]