SB 5031 Washington Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Concerning health care coordination regarding confined individuals.

SB 5031 creates a new council within Washington's Department of Health to improve coordination of health care for people in correctional facilities, jails, juvenile detention centers, and other confinement settings. The council, composed of state agency representatives, tribal leaders, county officials, and individuals with lived experience, will review current health information systems and make recommendations to streamline communication and reduce duplication. It must meet quarterly and submit annual reports to the legislature starting in 2025. This bill directly affects individuals in confinement, state health and corrections agencies, and tribal governments by establishing a formal process for better health care coordination.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 12, 2026 Last action Jan 12, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill → Substitute Bill · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended to change the council chair position from a full-time role to a voluntary one and to remove the requirement for appointing a physician, keeping only an administrative assistant. The bill was also refiled under a new number and updated with a new reading date.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement to appoint a physician and epidemiologist was removed; the chair is now a voluntary position.

FISCAL

The mandate to appoint a physician was removed, subject to appropriations for the administrative assistant.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was updated from S-0089.2 to S-1126.1, and the reading date was changed from 01/13/25 to 02/06/25.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 12, 2026

Introduced

By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.

upper

Feb 6, 2025

Committee

Referred to Ways & Means.

upper

Feb 5, 2025

Committee

And refer to Ways & Means.

upper

Feb 5, 2025

Upper · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

upper

Feb 5, 2025

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Human Services at 8:00 AM.

upper

Jan 29, 2025

Upper · Passed

Executive session scheduled, but no action was taken in the Senate Committee on Human Services at 8:00 AM.

upper

Jan 21, 2025

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Human Services at 1:30 PM.

upper

1 primary · 6 co-sponsors