by
<a href="mailto:sharons@awcnet.org">Sharon Swanson</a>, <a href="mailto:shannonm@awcnet.org">Shannon McClelland</a> | Apr 08, 2019
<a target="_blank" href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5163&Year=2019&Initiative=false"><strong>SSB 5163</strong></a>, sponsored by Senator Bob Hasegawa (D–Seattle), has passed the House Appropriations Committee with a vote of 18–15.
SSB 5163, sponsored by Senator Bob Hasegawa (D–Seattle), has passed the House Appropriations Committee with a vote of 18–15. The bill is now eligible for floor action by the House.
SSB 5163 would significantly expand city tort liability associated with wrongful death claims. The bill amends the current wrongful death statutes in a few important ways:
- Removes dependency requirements for claimants;
- Allows parents to bring an action for adult children over age 18, when that child is unmarried and has no children;
- Expands noneconomic damages to include the decedent’s pain and suffering, anxiety, emotional distress, or humiliation; and
- Applies retroactively to all claims that are not time barred, as well as any claims pending in any court on the effective day of the act.
AWC opposes the bill.