JLARC staff presented proposed study questions July 16, 2025 for an expedited review of Washington’s Drug Take Back program fee and expenditures and said a full expedited report will be released in December 2025 and presented to JLARC in January 2026.

Amanda Edrick and Andrew Pratt said the program, created in 2018 and implemented in 2020, is funded by drug manufacturers who contract with program operators. The Department of Health administers the program, sets and collects an annual oversight fee from operators, and enforces program requirements.

JLARC’s expedited review will address four questions: whether DOH expenditures align with statutory requirements and the program’s intent; how program operators determine and report expenditures; whether fees collected from operators cover DOH’s oversight and enforcement costs and how DOH’s fee model compares with similar programs; and whether DOH follows best practices for transparency, operator performance and financial reporting.

Staff told the committee they will perform an initial assessment of reasonableness of DOH costs and, if they identify red flags, will pursue more detailed review; JLARC will conduct a broader sunset review in 2027 that will examine compliance with legislative intent and performance targets in more depth. The program is scheduled to sunset on Jan. 1, 2029 unless reauthorized.