With 13 days left in the 2026 legislative session, Wednesday was a critical cut off for legislation. Bills needed to move out of the policy committee in the opposite house or they are considered dead. Of note, WSHA’s top priorities are continuing to move ahead, including:

  • EMS inter-facility transport bill
  • 340B protections
  • IV contrast supervision
  • MCO network adequacy requirements for post-acute care facilities
  • Timely payment for health insurers
  • Prior authorization reform legislation

Action Needed:

Three important bills are scheduled for a hearing at 10:30 a.m. today, Friday, February 27. Please sign-in to support these bills by 9:30 a.m.:

Monday, March 2 is the next cut-off, where bills with a fiscal note must pass out of the fiscal committees. Over the next few days several of the policy bills will head to fiscal committee, either the House Appropriations or Senate Ways and Means Committees.

Bills still alive after cutoff   

Bills WSHA supports  

ESSB 5845  

Modernizing and clarifying timely payment requirements for health carriers.  

 E2SSB 5395  

Prior authorization requirements for health insurers  

ESHB 2110  

EMS specialty care transports  

HB 2113  

Supervision of radiologic and MRI technologists performing IV contrast procedures  

E2SSB 5981  

Concerning the 340B drug pricing program 

ESSB 5124  

Establishing network adequacy standards for skilled nursing facilities and rehabilitation hospitals  

HB 2340  

Adding nursing assistants to the substance use disorder monitoring program 

SHB 2577  

Hospital inspections  

Bills WSHA has worked to amend to address concerns or to neutral  

SHB 2152 

Medical cannabis  

HB 2339 

Nursing regulations  

ESHB 2548 

Strengthening health care market standards (health care transaction oversight)  

ESSB 6210 

Health carrier certification by Washington Health Benefit Exchange 

Bills with which WSHA has concerns and is working to amend  

ESSB 5906 

 Establishing data and personal safety protections within areas of public accommodation for all Washington residents 

Bills WSHA opposes  

ESSB 5993  

Interest on medical debt  

SHB 1155 

Prohibiting noncompetition agreements and clarifying non-solicitation agreements  

SSB 5847  

Access to medical care in workers’ compensation  

Notable bills no longer moving forward 

2SSB 5387  

Corporate practice of health care  

HB 2232  

Improving system outcomes for time-sensitive emergencies  

SSB 6296  

Relating to involuntary treatment  

 SSB 5823  

Patient advocates  

SHB 2144  

Employee electronic monitoring notices  

HB 2372/SB 6067  

Workers’ compensation benefits  

SB 6284/HB 2667  

Consumer protections for artificial intelligence systems  

SHB 2402  

Phthalates in medical equipment used for intravenous purposes  

HB 2545  

Patient access to elective percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in ambulatory surgical facilities  

SB 6152  

Including physical and occupational therapists as attending providers for workers’ compensation  

HB 1784  

Medical assistant order entry and activation  

HB 1589   

Concerning the relationships between health carriers and contracting providers (HB 2106 relating to health carrier contract changes was amended onto this bill)  

HB 2283 

Establishing a medical loss ratio of at least 90 percent for health plans. 

SHB 2157  

High risk artificial intelligence  

HB 1496  

Strengthening patients’ rights regarding their health care information (medical records fees cap for third parties)  

HB 2122  

Requiring hospitals to offer immunizations for influenza in certain cases. 

HB 2685  

Improving the state governmental public health system and the health system and health status of American Indians and Alaska Natives through the sharing and protection of tribal data  

 HB 2255  

Litigation financing   

Bills that are likely dead, but could be revived as necessary to implement the budget  

SB 6173 

Creating an apple health employer assessment  

HB 2100  

Payroll tax to fund the Well Washington account  

HB 2626  

Increasing the insurance premium tax on certain health insurance providers (would reduce safety net assessment payments to hospitals)  

Bills applicable to all businesses or residents on which WSHA is neutral  

HB 2264  

Unemployment insurance benefits for workers separated from employment as a result of employer-initiated layoffs or workforce reductions  

SHB 2471/SSB 6617  

Collective bargaining for employees not covered by the national labor relations act  

HB 2724/SB 6346  

Establishing a tax on millionaires  

2SSB 5292  

Paid family and medical leave rates  

WSHA is weighing in on the following bills Feb. 26-27: 

Thursday, Feb. 26 

House Appropriations  

ESSB 5124 Establishing network adequacy standards for skilled nursing facilities and rehabilitation hospitals. (Remy Kerr) 

SSB 5923 – Concerning critical access hospital designations in Skagit county. (Andrew Busz) 

SB 5944 – Concerning language access providers’ collective bargaining. (Mary Storace) 

ESSB 6194 –  Allowing payments to be made based on allowable costs for services provided by any rural hospital that is located on a federally recognized Indian reservation. (Andrew Busz) 

Senate Ways & Means  

SHB 2152 – Permitting the medical use of cannabis by qualifying patients in specified health care facilities. (Remy Kerr)

2SHB 2105 – Concerning immigrant worker protections. (Remy Kerr) 

ESHB 2168 – Facilitating the rapid sharing of overdose mapping information for overdose prevention. (Remy Kerr) 

2SHB 2429 – Supporting children and youth behavioral health. (Remy Kerr) 

Friday, Feb. 27 

House Appropriations  

ESSB 5845 –  Modernizing and clarifying timely payment requirements for health carriers. (Jennifer Brackeen) 

E2SSB 5395 Making improvements to transparency and accountability in the prior authorization determination process. (Andrew Busz) 

2SSB 5981 Concerning the 340B drug pricing program. (Remy Kerr and Andrew Busz) 

E2SSB 5847 –  Concerning access to medical care in workers’ compensation. (Remy Kerr) 

2SSB 5968 –  Improving regulatory efficiency by integrating executive order 25-03, concerning permitting and licensing processes, into chapter 43.42A RCW. (Katarina LaMarche) 

Thank you for testifying!

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

  • Alex Dilley, MultiCare Health System
  • Andy Nelson from Jefferson Healthcare