Friday, April 2, marked the next cutoff of session, when all bills were required to pass through fiscal committees in the opposite chamber to continue advancing, unless they are considered necessary to implement the budget. Sunday, April 11, marks the final cutoff of the session, when all bills must pass their opposite chamber. Bills that are no longer referenced below do not appear to be advancing or did not pass policy cutoff.
E2SHB 1477: Implementing the national 988 system to enhance and expand behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention services
HB 1477 would redesign Washington’s crisis behavioral health system, using a centralized model that connects to a “988” behavioral health emergency line, as an alternative to “911.” Recognizing its complexities and controversial elements, WSHA supports the direction the bill is moving in and continues to work with legislators and stakeholders on needed changes to the policy aspects of the bill. The Senate Committee on Ways & Means held a public hearing on E2SHB 1477 on Monday, April 5. The bill has been exempted from the April 2 deadline because it is considered necessary to implement the budget. (Jaclyn Greenberg)
Bills still alive after cutoff
Bills WSHA supports
| SHB 1095 | Concerning the taxation of governmental financial assistance programs addressing the impacts of conditions giving rise to a gubernatorial or presidential emergency proclamation (exempting federal, state, and local COVID grants from B&O tax). WSHA provided significant input on this bill prior to session. |
| ESHB 1196 | Concerning audio-only telemedicine. WSHA strongly support this version of the bill. |
| 2SHB 1325 | Implementing policies related to children and youth behavioral health. |
| HB 1367 | Revising 2019-2021 fiscal biennium appropriations of state and federal funding for previously implemented Medicaid rates and other Medicaid expenditures in the developmental disabilities and long-term care programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| ESHB 1368 | Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic through state actions supported by federal funding. |
| 2SSB 5062 | Concerning the management, oversight, and use of data. |
| ESSB 5178 | Establishing automatic waivers of select state health care laws to enable timely response by the health care system during a governor-declared statewide state of emergency. |
| SSB 5185 | Concerning capacity to provide informed consent for health care decisions. |
| SSB 5236 | Extending certificate of need exemptions for psychiatric beds. This bill has passed both chambers and is on its way to the Governor. |
| SSB 5271 | Amending the necessary elements of proof of injury during the state of emergency declared due to the COVID-19 pandemic. WSHA strongly supports this bill. |
| SSB 5325 | Concerning telemedicine. This version has been modified to apply to community behavioral health providers. |
| 2SHB 1061 | Relating to youth eligible for developmental disability services who are expected to exit the child welfare system |
| SHB 1074 | Concerning overdose and suicide fatality reviews. |
| HB 1096 | Concerning nonmedicare plans offered through the Washington State health insurance pool. |
| ESHB 1120 | Concerning state of emergency operations impacting long-term services and supports. |
| SHB 1124 | Concerning nurse delegation of glucose monitoring, glucose testing, and insulin injections. |
| HB 1378 | Concerning the supervision of medical assistants. |
| SHB 1445 | Concerning the definition of compounding for purposes of the practice of pharmacy. |
| E2SHB 1504 | Modifying the workforce education investment act. |
| E2SSB 5071 | Creating transition teams to assist specified persons under civil commitment. |
| SSB 5073 | Concerning involuntary treatment. |
| 2SSB 5313 | Concerning health insurance discrimination. |
| ESSB 5370 | Updating mental health advance directive laws. |
| SSB 5423 | Concerning telemedicine consultations. |
Bills WSHA opposes or with which it has concerns
| SSB 5140 | Protecting pregnancy and miscarriage-related patient care. |
| ESSB 5190 | Providing health care workers with presumptive benefits during a public health emergency. WSHA worked to amend this bill, but remains concerned overall about its precedent. |
| 2SSB 5195 | Relating to prescribing opioid overdose reversal medication. |
| E2SSB 5377 | Increasing affordability of standardized plans on the individual market (public option) |
Bills WSHA has gotten amended to neutral or did not take a position on
| ESHB 1109 | Concerning victims of sexual assault. |
| 2SHB 1148 | Protecting patients in acute care hospitals. |
| E2SHB 1272 | Relating to health system transparency |
| SSB 5025 | Concerning the consumer protection improvement act. |
| ESSB 5115 | Establishing health emergency labor standards. |
| E2SHB 1073 | Expanding coverage of the paid family and medical leave program. |
| E2SHB 1086 | Creating the state office of behavioral health consumer advocacy. WSHA worked to ensure this bill did not create a duplicate regulatory process for hospitals providing behavioral health care. |
| ESHB 1097 | Increasing worker protections. |
| ESHB 1141 | Increasing access to the death with dignity act. |
| E2SHB 1152 | Supporting measures to create comprehensive public health districts. |
| 2SHB 1161 | Modifying the requirements for drug take-back programs. |
| SHB 1314 | Concerning veteran diversion from involuntary commitment. WSHA worked to ensure efforts to connect people to VA services did not interfere with the involuntary treatment process. |
| E2SSB 5022 | Concerning the management of certain materials to support recycling and waste and litter reduction. WSHA worked to exempt hospitals and health care facilities from the provision that prohibits the distribution of plastic utensils with meals. |
| SSB 5034 | Concerning nonprofit corporations. |
| E2SSB 5052 | Concerning the creation of health equity zones. |
| ESSB 5097 | Expanding of the paid family and medical leave program. |
| SSB 5254 | Concerning the use of protective devices and equipment during a public health emergency. WSHA worked to ensure this bill reflected hospital concerns for infection control. |
WSHA Weighing In: April 5-April 9
WSHA is weighing in on the following bills next week:
Monday, April 5
- Senate Ways & Means
- E2SHB 1477: Implementing the national 988 system to enhance and expand behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention services. (Jaclyn Greenberg)
