Lawmakers considered Substitute Senate Bill 15‑93 on March 14, a measure proponents called the “Dignity in Pregnancy Loss” Act that would repeal an antiquated criminal statute and remove automatic coroner jurisdiction over some pregnancy‑related deaths.

Committee staff summarized the bill’s three main provisions: repeal the criminal offense of concealing birth (historically enacted in 1909); remove county coroners’ and medical examiners’ automatic jurisdiction over bodies of persons whose death resulted from a known or suspected abortion or from premature birth or stillbirth; and require correctional institutions and private detention facilities to report annually to the Department of Health on aggregate counts of miscarriage, stillbirth, or perinatal loss while incarcerated, with the Department reporting to the Legislature by June 30, 2027.

Senator Manka Dhingra, the bill’s sponsor, said the measure aims to avoid the criminalization of people who suffer pregnancy loss and to eliminate statutes inconsistent with Washington law. “This is simply about making sure that things that are protected in the state of Washington continue to be protected,” she said, adding that coroners would retain jurisdiction where deaths involve unlawful or suspicious circumstances.

Medical, survivors’ advocacy, reproductive‑rights and immigrant‑advocacy witnesses testified in favor. Sarah Ainsworth of If/When/How said the bill removes language that misstates routine practice; she said medical certifiers and hospitals routinely handle stillbirths and neonatal autopsies, and the coroner statute should not create a default criminal investigation path. Survivors’ advocates and domestic‑violence organizations said the existing language can be weaponized against survivors and communities of color and could deter people from seeking care.

Opponents voiced concerns that repeal could reduce investigative capacity in some infant‑death cases or limit information available to grieving families. Theresa Schremp, a retired attorney, said coroners should retain authority to investigate maternal deaths and cases where criminal activity may be implicated. Mary Long of Conservative Ladies of Washington urged more precise statutory definitions, especially for the term “perinatal,” and cautioned against eliminating an investigative tool.

Committee members asked whether the repeal would prevent medical autopsies ordered by hospitals; staff and witnesses clarified that hospitals routinely perform medical examinations and that the bill removes the coroner’s automatic jurisdiction but does not strip investigators of authority when suspicion of wrongdoing exists. The sponsor said the bill is not intended to impede criminal investigations where probable cause exists.

No committee vote was taken. Supporters asked legislators to pass the bill to ensure people who experience miscarriages, stillbirths or other pregnancy losses are treated with dignity and are not automatically subject to criminal investigation.

Ending: Supporters framed the bill as aligning statutes with current medical practice and protecting vulnerable people from criminal investigation after pregnancy loss; opponents asked for clearer definitions and assurances that criminal investigations and public‑health inquiries remain available when warranted.