Friday, Feb. 21 was the first cutoff of legislative session. We are pleased to report that many bills WSHA supports are continuing to move forward. We are particularly excited that HB 1879 (adding meal and rest break flexibility for hospital workers), SSB 5683 (transparency of carrier claims payment timeliness), SSB 5395/SHB 1566 (transparency and accountability in the prior authorization determination process), and SB 5019/HB 1186 (our prepacked medications bills) are among those that advanced.
We are also pleased to report that SB 5124 (network adequacy standards) has passed the Senate Ways and Means Committee and advanced to Rules.
Please see our list below to see the status of the bills WSHA is tracking. The next cutoff is Friday, Feb. 28, when most bills need to advance from fiscal committees to continue advancing.
This week’s top bills with hearings in Olympia
SSB 5395/SHB 1566: Making improvements to transparency and accountability in the prior authorization determination process
WSHA strongly supports SSB 5395/SHB 1566, seeking to remedy issues that hospitals, providers and patients face in seeking care when using prior authorization process. Components include identifying who is performing the review and ensuring they are qualified to do the review, requiring a human to make final care determinations if there is a denial (not AI), standardizing use of AI tools and revising Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) data collection. Read more from the Feb. 3 Inside Olympia.
The Senate Committee on Ways & Means will hold a public hearing on SSB 5395 Wednesday, Feb. 26. WSHA will testify in support. (Andrew Busz)
SHB 1686: Creating a health care entity registry
WSHA is looking to amend SHB 1686, which would require a health care entity to report ownership and financial information each year that would be subject to search by members of the public and the state Department of Health. Hospitals that fail to comply would be subject to financial penalties. Read more from the Feb. 3 Inside Olympia.
The House Committee on Appropriations will hold a public hearing on SHB 1686 Tuesday, Feb. 25. WSHA will testify to our concerns. (Katerina LaMarche)
SSB 5387: Concerning the corporate practice of health care
WSHA opposes and is seeking to amend SSB 5387, which restricts anyone without a license to practice a health care profession. The bill seeks to prevent interfering with, controlling or otherwise directing the professional judgments or clinical decisions of a licensed health care provider providing care to patients. This restriction applies to indirect as well as direct influence on patient care. Read more from the Feb. 3 Inside Olympia.
The Senate Committee on Ways & Means will hold a public hearing on SSB 5387 Wednesday, Feb. 26. WSHA will testify at the hearing. (Cara Helmer)
SSB 5335: Establishing the Rural Nursing Education Program
WSHA supports SSB 5335, which establishes the Rural Nursing Education Program. The Program would provide education and clinical training for those working in rural communities and hospitals, allowing them to become licensed registered nurses (RNs) by attending classes online while completing clinical work in the local community. It also would allow communities to grow a pipeline of workers locally. This bill will establish the program statewide.
The Senate Committee on Ways & Means will hold a public hearing on SSB 5335 Wednesday, Feb. 26. WSHA will testify in support. (Jacqueline Barton True)
Bills still alive after cutoff
Bills WSHA supports
| HB 1130 | Utilization of developmental disabilities waivers. |
| SHB 1142 | Standardizing basic training and certification requirements for long-term care workers who provide in-home care for their family members, including spouses or domestic partners. |
| SHB 1162 | Concerning workplace violence in health care settings. |
| SHB 1186 / SSB 5019 | Expanding the situations in which medications can be dispensed or delivered from hospitals and health care entities. |
| SHB 1243 / SB 5079 | Addressing the burden of unintentional overpayments on older adults and adults with disabilities served by the department of social and health services. |
|
HB 1287 |
Addressing the disclosure of health information for care coordination. |
| SHB 1344 | Increasing access to respite care for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities and their caregivers. |
| HB 1392 | Creating the Medicaid access program. |
|
SHB 1394/SSB 5239 |
Concerning the retention of hospital medical records. |
|
SHB 1482 |
Improving access to appropriate mental health and substance use disorder services. |
| HB 1879 | Concerning meal and rest breaks for hospital workers. |
|
SB 5122 |
Enacting the uniform antitrust premerger notification act. |
| SSB 5124 | Establishing network adequacy standards for skilled nursing facilities and rehabilitation hospitals. |
| SB 5211/SHB 1200 | Authorizing payment for parental caregivers of minor children with developmental disabilities. |
| SSB 5335 | Establishing the rural nursing education program. |
| SSB 5395 / SHB 1566 | Transparency and accountability in the prior authorization determination process |
|
SB 5480 |
Protecting consumers by removing barriers created by medical debt. |
| SSB 5557 | Codifying emergency rules to protect the right of a pregnant person to access treatment for emergency medical conditions in hospital emergency departments. |
| SSB 5568 | Updating and modernizing the Washington state health plan. |
| SSB 5683 | Concerning health carrier transparency of payment timeliness of claims |
|
SSB 5745 |
Concerning appointed counsel for individuals detained under the involuntary treatment act. |
|
SB 5764 |
Repealing the expiration date for the ambulance transport fund. |
Bills on which WSHA is neutral
|
SHB 1155 |
Noncompetition agreements. |
|
HB 1168 |
Increasing transparency in artificial intelligence. |
| HB 1215 | Removing references to pregnancy from the model directive form under the natural death act. |
| SHB 1313 | Addressing mass layoffs, relocations, and terminations. |
| SSB 5324 / SHB 1706 | Aligning the implementation of application programming interfaces for prior authorization with federal guidelines. |
| SSB 5493 | Concerning hospital price transparency. |
Bills with which WSHA has concerns
| HB 1198 | Making 2025-2027 fiscal biennium operating appropriations. |
|
HB 1382 |
Modernizing the all payer claims database. |
|
SHB 1686 |
Creating a health care entity registry. |
Bills WSHA opposes
| SHB 1123 / SSB 5083 | Ensuring access to primary care, behavioral health, and affordable hospital services. |
|
SSB 5041 |
Concerning unemployment insurance benefits for striking and locked out workers. |
|
SSB 5254 |
Strengthening patients’ rights regarding their health care information. |
|
SSB 5387 |
Concerning the corporate practice of health care. |
|
SSB 5579 |
Prohibiting health carriers, facilities, and providers from making any public statements of any potential or planned contract terminations unless it satisfies a legal obligation. |
Notable bills no longer moving forward
| HB 1072 | Preserving access to protected health care services. |
| HB 1507 | Limiting health care nondisclosure agreements. |
|
HB 1567 |
Concerning licensure of health care administrators. |
| HB 1881 / SB 5704 | Material changes to the operations and governance structure of participants in the health care marketplace |
WSHA weighing in: Feb. 24-28
Tuesday, Feb. 25
- House Appropriations
- SHB 1432: Improving access to appropriate mental health and substance use disorder services. (Cara Helmer)
- SHB 1686: Creating a health care entity registry. (Katerina LaMarche)
- Senate Ways & Means
- SSB 5041: Concerning unemployment insurance benefits for striking or lockout workers. (Remy Kerr)
- SSB 5606: Providing sufficient funding for the Washington state long-term care ombuds program.
- SSB 5745: Concerning legal representation under the involuntary treatment act. (Cara Helmer)
Wednesday, Feb. 26
- Senate Ways & Means
- SSB 5335: Establishing the rural nursing education program. (Jacqueline Barton True)
- SSB 5387: Concerning the corporate practice of health care. (Cara Helmer)
- SB 5392: Concerning budget stabilization account transfers. (Andrew Busz)
- SB 5394: Reducing the developmental disabilities administration’s no-paid services caseload services. (Zosia Stanley)
- SSB 5395: Making improvements to transparency and accountability in the prior authorization determination process. (Andrew Busz)
- SB 5764: Repealing the expiration date for the ambulance transport fund. (Andrew Busz)
Thank you for testifying!
Thank you to everyone who testified in support of WSHA’s legislative efforts last week:
- Chris Bredeson, EvergreenHealth
- Elise Cutter, Island Health
- Adam Dittemore, MultiCare Health System
- Matt Forge, Pullman Regional Hospital
- Brian Gibbons, Astria
