Friday, March 26, marked the next cutoff of session, when all bills were required to pass through committees in the opposite chamber, with the exception of fiscal committees. Friday, April 2, marks the cutoff for fiscal committees in the opposite chamber, and floor action in the opposite chamber will follow. Also, if you missed it last week, see our full detailed budget comparison for the House and Senate.
The following bills have been heard or will have hearings this week:
ESHB 1196: Concerning audio-only telemedicine
WSHA strongly supports ESHB 1196, which adds audio-only visits to the definition of telemedicine for payment purposes. The bill removes hospitals from the list of facilities eligible to charge a facility fee when the patient is in the hospital and connecting with a provider through audio services. It passed the House 94-3 and passed the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care, and the Senate Committee on Ways & Means will hold a public hearing on the bill on Wednesday, March 31. Read more from the Jan. 25 Inside Olympia. (David Streeter)
ESSB 5190: Providing health care workers with presumptive benefits during a public health emergency
WSHA has worked to amend and continues to closely monitor ESSB 5190. The bill would create a presumption of occupational disease for health care workers in workers’ compensation and provide a pathway for certain health care workers to receive benefits under unemployment insurance when they leave work to enter quarantine due to exposure or contracting the disease that is the subject of a declared public health emergency. WSHA has worked to clean up portions of the bill. ESSB 5190 passed the Senate and the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards. The House Committee on Appropriations held a public hearing on ESSB 5190 on Tuesday, March 30. Read more in the Jan. 25 Inside Olympia. (Alicia Eyler)
2SHB 1076: Allowing whistleblowers to bring actions on behalf of the state for violations of workplace protections
WSHA strongly opposes HB 1076, which allows private citizens to sue on behalf of the government (“qui tam”) over alleged labor law violations in exchange for a portion of the financial award. 2SHB 1076 passed the House and the Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce & Tribal Affairs. The Senate Committee on Ways & Means held a public hearing on the bill on Tuesday, March 30. Read more from the Jan. 19 Inside Olympia. (David Streeter)
SSB 5236: Extending certificate of need exemptions
WSHA strongly supports SSB 5236, which would extend the current exemption of Certificate of Need laws for psychiatric hospitals for an additional two years. It has unanimously passed both chambers of the Legislature and is next due to be sent to the governor for his signature. The bill also allows for freestanding psychiatric hospitals a one-time addition of up to 30 long-term psychiatric beds, in addition to a one-time addition of up to 30 beds for all other types of psychiatric beds. Read more from the Jan. 25 Inside Olympia. (Shirley Prasad)
E2SHB 1272: Concerning health system transparency
E2SHB 1272 calls for increased reporting by hospitals on financial data, patient data and community benefit. WSHA has been advocating strongly on the bill and is pleased the requirement to collect patient income, occupation and education data was removed, as was a requirement to report “critical staffing” information monthly. WSHA also continues to work on a request to help rural hospitals comply with the new requirements. E2SHB 1272 passed the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care, and the Senate Committee on Ways & Means will next hold a public hearing on the bill on Wednesday, March 31. Read more from the Feb. 1 Inside Olympia. (Zosia Stanley)
E2SSB 5377: Public option
WSHA is seeking to refine E2SSB 5377, which aims to make numerous changes to the public option health plans, which are offered on the Washington health benefit exchange. One of those changes includes requiring large health systems with four or more hospitals to contract with at least two health carriers in each county within a geographic rating area that is offering a public option health plan. While some concerns were addressed in the Senate, WSHA will continue to be working this bill as it moves through the House. Read more about E2SSB 5377 from the March 3 Inside Olympia. The House Committee on Health Care & Wellness passed the bill, and now the House Committee on Appropriations will hold a public hearing on E2SSB 5377 on Wednesday, March 31. (Shirley Prasad)
2SSB 5195: Concerning prescribing opioid overdose reversal medication
WSHA continues to seek amendment to 2SSB 5195. The bill directs hospital emergency departments and behavioral health agencies to provide the anti-overdose medication naloxone to people at risk of an opioid overdose. Though we support the intent of the bill, which is to help assure the life-saving drug gets into people’s hands, several outstanding items remain to be appropriately addressed, including reimbursement for all individuals, regardless of their insurance. The House Committee on Appropriations held a public hearing on 2SSB 5195 on Tuesday, March 30. (Jaclyn Greenberg)
Bills still alive after cutoff
Bills WSHA supports
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
2SSB 5062 | Concerning the management, oversight, and use of data. |
E2SSB 5071 | Creating transition teams to assist specified persons under civil commitment. |
SSB 5073 | Concerning involuntary treatment. |
ESSB 5074 | Relating to establishing safe station pilot programs for persons in need of substance use disorder treatment. |
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. |
SSB 5271 | Amending the necessary elements of proof of injury during the state of emergency declared due to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
SSB 5294 | Concerning the creation of statewide epidemic preparedness and response guidelines for long-term care facilities. |
2SSB 5313 | Concerning health insurance discrimination. |
SSB 5325 | Concerning telemedicine. This version has been modified to apply to community behavioral health providers. |
ESSB 5370 | Updating mental health advance directive laws. |
SSB 5423 | Concerning telemedicine consultations. |
Bills WSHA opposes or with which it has concerns
2SHB 1076 | Allowing whistleblowers to bring actions on behalf of the state for violations of workplace protections. |
ESHB 1097 | Increasing worker protections. |
E2SHB 1272 | Concerning health system transparency. |
ESSB 5115 | Establishing health emergency labor standards. |
SSB 5140 | Protecting pregnancy and miscarriage-related patient care. |
ESSB 5190 | Providing health care workers with presumptive benefits during a public health emergency. |
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
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 1109 | Concerning victims of sexual assault. |
ESHB 1141 | Increasing access to the death with dignity act. |
2SHB 1148 | Protecting patients in acute care hospitals. |
E2SHB 1152 | Supporting measures to create comprehensive public health districts. |
2SHB 1161 | Modifying the requirements for drug take-back programs. |
ESHB 1197 | Concerning health care decisions made by a designated person. |
E2SHB 1272 | Relating to health system transparency |
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. |
SSB 5025 | Concerning the consumer protection improvement act. |
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. |
ESSB 5268 | Relating to transforming services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities by increasing the capabilities of community residential settings and redesigning the long-term nature of intermediate care facilities. |
WSHA Weighing In: March 29-April 2
WSHA is weighing in on the following bills next week:
Tuesday, March 30
- House Appropriations
- 2SSB 5195: Concerning prescribing opioid overdose reversal medication. (Jaclyn Greenberg)
- Senate Ways & Means
- E2SHB 1504: Modifying the workforce education investment act. (Jaclyn Greenberg)
- 2SHB 1076: Allowing whistleblowers to bring actions on behalf of the state for violations of workplace protections. (David Streeter)
Wednesday March 31
- Senate Ways & Means
- E2SHB 1152: Supporting measures to create comprehensive public health districts. (Alicia Eyler)
- ESHB 1196: Concerning audio-only telemedicine. (David Streeter)
- E2SHB 1272: Concerning health system transparency. (Zosia Stanley)
Thursday, April 1
- Senate Ways & Means
- 2SHB 1061: Concerning youth eligible for developmental disability services who are expected to exit the child welfare system.
- 2SHB 1325: Implementing policies related to children and youth behavioral health. (Jaclyn Greenberg)