The 2024 legislative session begins today. This year’s session is the second in the two-year biennium and will last for 60 days, making it a “short” session. Before they adjourn in March, lawmakers will need to pass the supplemental budgets. The WSHA Board of Directors recently approved WSHA’s 2024 legislative agenda, and our Government Affairs team is hard at work reviewing the first bills of session.
WSHA’s top budget priorities this session focus on increasing post-acute care for complex discharge patients, improving timeliness of guardianship proceedings and availability of guardians for hospitalized patients, and supporting low-volume hospital labor and delivery. Our top policy priorities focus on ensuring access to care is not threatened by reductions in payments to hospitals, allowing hospitals to continue to merge and affiliate to maintain access to care in their communities, and supporting innovations to improve workforce shortages.
You can read our full list of legislative priorities on our website.
This week’s top bills with hearings in Olympia
SB 5940: Creating a medical assistant-EMT certification
WSHA strongly supports SB 5940, which creates a medical assistant certification for EMTs, allowing them to work in the hospital setting. This would not increase their scope of practice but add a new setting where they are authorized to deliver care. Especially in rural communities, this would provide much-needed workforce support and help maintain EMS services, where it is often administered by volunteers. Further, EMTs would be able to help hospital staff-up during surges, as patient loads can vary unpredictably. Read more from WSHA’s issue brief. WSHA worked with DOH, health care groups and lawmakers to craft this bill.
The Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care will hold a public hearing on SB 5940 at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, and WSHA will testify in support. (Remy Kerr and Cara Helmer)
SB 5821: Establishing a uniform standard for creating an established relationship for the purposes of coverage of audio-only telemedicine services
WSHA opposes SB 5821, which removes the in-person visit requirement to trigger payment parity for audio-only telemedicine services. For non-behavioral health services, WSHA believes for a provider to be paid at parity for an audio-only visit, patients should see providers for an in-person visit at least once every two years. Payment parity helps ensure existing health care infrastructure is maintained throughout the state, particularly in rural areas. Many services still require in-person clinic visits for effective treatment and the state needs to ensure that payments reflect the commitment to keeping a robust network of in-state providers. Read more from WSHA’s issue brief.
The Senate Committee on Health and Long-Term Care will hold a public hearing on SB 5821 at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 11. WSHA will testify in opposition. (Remy Kerr)
SB 5825: Concerning guardianship and conservatorship
WSHA supports SB 5825, specifically the provisions that expand the capacity of the state Office of Public Guardianship (OPG) to provide public guardianship services for hospitalized patients who do not have a family member or friend able to serve as a guardian. Patients in hospitals who cannot make their own decisions and need a court-appointed guardian are typically stuck in the hospital for four-to-six months. The delays are due to challenges finding guardians and the lengthy court process. SB 5825 creates guardianship capacity that prioritizes hospitalized patients, establishes a guardianship navigator within OPG and provides for specialized training for guardians on complex patient needs (such as behavioral health, family law and Medicaid).
The Senate Committee on Law & Justice will hold a public hearing on SB 5825 at 8 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 11. WSHA will testify in support. (Zosia Stanley)
HB 2128: Modernizing the Certificate of Need program
WSHA supports HB 2128, specifically its intent to re-evaluate and make recommendations for Washington’s Certificate of Need program. The current Certificate of Need process is burdensome and was created several decades ago. HB 2128 creates a task force with a broad group of representatives — including a representative from each type of health care facility as defined in RCW 70.38.025 — as well as representatives from labor, payers and health care consumer organizations. The task force is directed to evaluate the role of the Certificate of Need program in Washington and provide recommendations on if the program should be repealed or modified.
The House Committee on Health Care & Wellness will hold a public hearing on HB 2128 at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10. WSHA will sign-in support. (Remy Kerr)
Join us for our Legislative Session Kickoff webinar Jan. 10
Please join us at noon Wednesday, Jan. 10 for our annual Legislative Session Kickoff webinar for members. The webinar will cover what to expect during the 2024 legislative session and give an overview of WSHA’s legislative priorities and hot topics. It will also include an opportunity to ask questions of WSHA’s Government Affairs leaders. Register now!
WSHA Weighing In: Jan. 8-12
WSHA is weighing in on the following bills this week:
Monday, Jan. 8
- House Environment & Energy
- HB 1976: Changing the incentive structure for tier 1 and tier 2 buildings. (Remy Kerr)
Tuesday, Jan. 9
- House Health Care & Wellness
- HB 1972: Increasing the licensure fees that support the Washington physician’s health program. (Katerina LaMarche)
- House Postsecondary Education
- HB 1946: Creating the Washington health corps behavioral health scholarship program. (Katerina LaMarche)
Wednesday, Jan. 10
- House Health Care & Wellness
- HB 1969: Expanding the definition of family member for individual providers. (Katerina LaMarche)
- HB 2015: Concerning incentivizing adult family homes to increase bed capacity to seven or eight beds. (Zosia Stanley)
- HB 2128: Modernizing the Certificate of Need program. (See article above, Remy Kerr)
Thursday, Jan. 11
- House Environment & Energy
- HB 2073: Concerning emissions of greenhouse gases from sources other than methane and carbon dioxide. (Remy Kerr)
- Senate Human Services
- SB 5853: Extending the crisis relief center model to provide behavioral health crisis services for minors. (Cara Helmer)
- Senate Health & Long Term Care
- SB 5821: Establishing a uniform standard for creating an established relationship for the purposes of coverage of audio-only telemedicine services. (See article above, Remy Kerr)
- SB 5853: Extending the crisis relief center model to provide behavioral health crisis services for minors. (Cara Helmer)
- SB 5936: Convening a palliative care benefit work group. (Andrew Busz)
- SB 5940: Creating a medical assistant-EMT certification. (See article above, Remy Kerr)
- Senate Labor & Commerce
- SB 5924: Concerning access to personnel records. (Remy Kerr)
- Senate Law & Justice
- SB 5825: Concerning guardianship and conservatorship. (See article above, Zosia Stanley)
Friday, Jan. 12
- House Health Care & Wellness
- HB 1954: Harmonizing language relating to reproductive health care services and gender-affirming treatment. (Katerine LaMarche)
- HB 2157: Updating the definition of “vaccine” in RCW 70.290.010 to include all federal food and drug administration-approved immunizations recommended by the centers for disease control and prevention. (Katerine LaMarche)
- Senate Health & Long Term Care
- SB 5184: Concerning licensure of anesthesiologist assistants. (Katerina LaMarche)
- SB 5982: Updating the definition of “vaccine” in RCW 70.290.010 to include all federal food and drug administration-approved immunizations recommended by the centers for disease control and prevention. (Katerine LaMarche)
