The state House and Senate have now passed their respective budgets. WSHA supports the spending plans of both the House and Senate, both of which put important resources into health care, most prominently making improvements to the behavioral health system. To compare the budgets, see our comparison chart here.
However, the House’s tax bill includes an increase to the business and occupation (B&O) tax that would affect hospitals in Washington State. WSHA is very concerned about the impacts of the B&O tax increase, and we’re working to analyze the impacts on hospitals. The bill has been referred to the Finance Committee and had a hearing on April 3.
We are also now past the cutoff for policy bills to pass a committee in the opposite chamber, so it is a good opportunity to assess the progress of our key bills. Click here to see a list of our key bills that are still alive. (Chris Bandoli)
