SB 5568 Washington Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Updating and modernizing the Washington state health plan.

This bill updates and modernizes the Washington state health plan by revising the duties of the Office of Financial Management (OFM) regarding health planning. It designates OFM as the coordinating body for strategic health planning and expands its access to various health care data sources, such as the all-payer claims database, to inform its efforts. OFM is now required to develop a statewide health resources strategy, in coordination with stakeholders, to establish policies and goals for health care facility and service availability, quality, and cost by geographic region. The bill also updates definitions for various health facilities, including changing "psychiatric hospitals" to "behavioral health hospitals."

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Signed into Law

May 2025

Introduced Jan 29, 2025 Signed May 20, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Substitute Bill → Substitute Passed Legislature · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was finalized and passed by the legislature, adding a new section to the act that clarifies the relationship between the state health planning office and the Department of Health regarding certificate of need reviews. The most significant policy change involves updating the timeline for submitting health strategy reports, extending the initial deadline to 2027 and changing the frequency of future updates from every two years to every four years. A new requirement mandates that the health planning office submit its strategy to the Department of Health to direct certificate of need activities, while explicitly prohibiting the office from making final determinations on specific project proposals.

Scope change

Added a new section (Sec. 5) establishing the Department of Health's role in directing certificate of need reviews based on the state health strategy, while removing the office's authority to issue final project determinations.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new section requiring the health planning office to submit its strategy to the Department of Health to direct certificate of need review activities.

Added a prohibition preventing the health planning office from issuing final determinations on the merits of specific certificate of need project proposals.

TIMELINE

Extended the deadline for submitting the completed health resources strategy from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2027.

Changed the frequency of future strategy updates from every two years to every four years starting January 1, 2033.

TECHNICAL

Added certification of enrollment pages and updated the legislative session dates to reflect the 2025 Regular Session.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 23, 2025 · House Apr 15, 2025

How they voted

36–13

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 50

Apr 23, 2025

D Democratic30

29 Yea 1

96% Yea

R Republican20

7 Yea 13 Nay

65% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 20, 2025

Signed into law

Governor signed.

executive

Apr 24, 2025

Lower · Passed

Speaker signed.

lower

Apr 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

President signed.

upper

Apr 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed final passage; yeas, 34; nays, 13; absent, 0; excused, 1.

upper

Apr 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

Senate concurred in House amendments.

upper

Apr 15, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.

lower

Apr 15, 2025

House · Passed

House Vote: pass (60-39-1)

house

Apr 8, 2025

Committee

Referred to Rules 2 Review.

lower

Apr 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

lower

Apr 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

lower

Apr 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

APP - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).

lower

Apr 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 1:30 PM.

lower

Apr 2, 2025

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 4:00 PM.

lower

Mar 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to Appropriations.

lower

Mar 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

lower

Mar 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

HCW - Majority; do pass.

lower

Mar 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 1:30 PM.

lower

Mar 14, 2025

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 8:00 AM.

lower

Feb 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

upper

Feb 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care at 8:00 AM.

upper

Feb 6, 2025

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care at 8:00 AM.

upper

1 primary · 3 co-sponsors