Inside Olympia: Bills still alive after first cutoff of session, Advocacy Day a success!

February 21, 2023

Friday, Feb. 17 marked the first cutoff of the legislative session, when a policy bill must have passed through its committee of origin (except for fiscal committees). Those that have not left their initial committees are likely no longer moving forward this session, though nothing is certain until session adjourns, as lawmakers can add language from stalled ones to those that are still advancing.

We are also pleased to announce that Hospital Advocacy Day 2023 was a great success! We welcomed 117 members representing 53 hospitals to the capitol. These members held 111 meetings with lawmakers. We would like to extend our gratitude to all those who made the trip to tell the hospital story and asked their lawmakers for their support on key issues.

High-priority bills still alive after cutoff

Bills WSHA supports

SHB 1580 Creating a system to support children in crisis.
HB 1812 Continuing the business and occupation tax deduction for federal funds received from a Medicaid transformation or demonstration project or Medicaid quality improvement program or standard.
SSB 5057 Creating a work group to evaluate the costs of the state energy performance standard for covered commercial buildings. As amended this bill contains a one-year delay to the “clean buildings” law.
SSB 5103 Concerning payment to acute care hospitals for difficult to discharge Medicaid patients.
SSB 5120 Establishing 23-hour crisis relief centers in Washington state.
SSB 5498 Creating the hospital-based nurse student loan repayment assistance program under the Washington health corps.
SSB 5499 Concerning the multistate nurse licensure compact.

SB 5503

Establishing requirements for uniform clinical placement hours for nursing education programs.

SB 5537 Establishing the Washington state hospital patient care unit staffing innovation collaborative.

SB 5547

Concerning nursing pool transparency. Requires traveler agencies to register and report information by county to the Department of Health.

Bills WSHA opposes

HB 1508 Improving consumer affordability through the health care cost transparency board.
SSB 5236 Concerning hospital staffing standards.
SB 5241 Concerning material changes to the operations and governance structure of participants in the health care marketplace.
SSB 5393 Addressing affordability through health care provider contracting.
SB 5440 Providing timely competency evaluations and restoration services to persons suffering from behavioral health disorders.

Bills with which WSHA has concerns and is trying to amend

SHB 1320/SSB 5061 Concerning access to personnel records.
SHB 1417 Concerning the multistate nurse licensure compact. This version contains a provision that would prevent Washington State from participation.
SHB 1589 Supporting Washington’s clean energy economy and transitioning to a clean, affordable, and reliable energy future.
HB 1593/SSB 5454 Concerning industrial insurance coverage for posttraumatic stress disorders affecting registered nurses.
SSB 5481 Concerning the uniform telemedicine act.
SSB 5562 Supporting Washington’s clean energy economy and transitioning to a clean, affordable, and reliable energy future.

Bills on which WSHA in neutral

SHB 1155 / SB 5351 Addressing the collection, sharing, and selling of consumer health data.
SHB 1255 Reducing stigma and incentivizing health care professionals to participate in a substance use disorder monitoring and treatment program.
SB 5481 Concerning the uniform telemedicine act.

WSHA Weighing In: Feb. 18-24

WSHA is weighing in on the following bills this week:

Saturday, Feb. 18

  • Senate Ways & Means
    • SSB 5498: Creating the nurse student loan repayment assistance program under the Washington health corps. (Ashlen Strong)
    • SSB 5582: Reducing barriers and expanding educational opportunities to increase the supply of nurses in Washington. (Katerina LaMarche)
    • SB 5710: Providing access to behavioral health services to youth in rural and underserved areas. (Cara Helmer)

Monday, Feb. 20

  • Senate Ways & Means
    • SSB 5562: Supporting Washington’s clean energy economy and transitioning to a clean, affordable, and reliable energy future. (Remy Kerr)
  • House Appropriations
    • SHB 1580: Creating a system to support children in crisis. (Cara Helmer)

Tuesday, Feb. 21

  • House Appropriations
    • HB 1593: Concerning industrial insurance coverage for posttraumatic stress disorders affecting registered nurses. (Remy Kerr)
    • SHB 1694: Addressing home care workforce shortages. (Katerina LaMarche)
  • House Finance
    • HB 1812: Continuing the business and occupation tax deduction for federal funds received from a Medicaid transformation or demonstration project or Medicaid quality improvement program or standard. (Andrew Busz)
  • Senate Ways & Means
    • SB 5097: Creating an advisory council on rare diseases. (Zosia Stanley)
    • SSB 5120: Establishing 23-hour crisis relief centers in Washington state. (Cara Helmer)
    • SSB 5213: Concerning pharmacy benefit managers’ utilizations of nonresident pharmacies. (Andrew Busz)
    • SB 5241: Concerning material changes to the operations and governance structure of participants in the health care marketplace. (Zosia Stanley)
    • SSB 5305: Establishing the office of career connect Washington. (Ashlen Strong)
    • SSB 5393: Addressing affordability through health care provider contracting. (Andrew Busz)
    • SSB 5526: Concerning nursing facility rates. (Andrew Busz)
    • SB 5537: Establishing the Washington state hospital patient care unit staffing innovation collaborative. (Ashlen Strong)
    • SSB 5580: Improving maternal health outcomes. (Andrew Busz)

Wednesday, Feb. 22

  • Senate Ways & Means
    • SSB 5057: Creating a work group to evaluate the costs of the state energy performance standard for covered commercial buildings. (Remy Kerr)
    • SB 5302: Establishing a property tax exemption for adult family homes that serve people with intellectual or developmental disabilities and are owned by a nonprofit. (Zosia Stanley)

Thursday, Feb. 23

  • House Appropriations
    • SHB 1320: Concerning access to personnel records. (Remy Kerr)
    • SHB 1357: Modernizing the prior authorization process. (Andrew Busz)
    • HB 1508: Improving consumer affordability through the health care cost transparency board. (Katerina LaMarche)

Thank you for testifying!

Thank you to everyone who testified in support of WSHA’s legislative efforts over the last week:

  • Heidi Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, Forks Community Hospital
  • Ian Goodhew, Senior Director of External Affairs, Associate VP, UW Medicine
  • Jennifer Graham, Chief Nurse Executive, MultiCare Health System

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