Establishing the Washington health care board.
SB 5947 establishes a 19-member Washington Health Care Board to design a universal health care plan for all state residents. The board must develop the plan, secure federal approval and funding through a waiver, and recommend legislative changes before implementation. It includes specific representation: employers, health providers (like primary care doctors and nurses), tribal leaders, labor, and health financing experts. The bill cannot take effect until federal law permits states to create such a plan with federal funding.
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Dec 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Dec 29, 2025
Last action Mar 12, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Bill
→
Engrossed Bill
·
2 edits
·
Feb 17, 2026
MINOR
The bill was reclassified from a Senate Bill to an Engrossed Bill, indicating it has passed its initial reading. The most significant policy change is the addition of a requirement for the health care board to consult with the universal health care commission when fulfilling its duties, replacing the previous rule that allowed the board to adopt rules independently. Additionally, the bill's effective date is now tied to federal authorization for state-based universal health care waivers.
Scope change
The bill's scope was expanded to include mandatory coordination between the health care board and the universal health care commission, altering the administrative structure for implementing the plan.
REQUIREMENT
Replaced the authority's independent rule-making power with a requirement to consult and coordinate with the universal health care commission.
Added a new section specifying that the act takes effect only upon federal approval of a waiver for state-based universal health care.
Floor votes · Senate Feb 17, 2026
How they voted
32–19
Passed
Total votes 51
Feb 17, 2026
D
Democratic31
100% Yea
R
Republican20
95% Nay
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
14
Key actions
6
Committee
5
Feb 17, 2026
Upper · Passed
Floor amendment(s) adopted.
upper
Feb 3, 2026
Upper · Passed
Minority; without recommendation.
upper
Feb 3, 2026
Upper · Passed
Minority; do not pass.
upper
Feb 3, 2026
Upper · Passed
HLTC - Majority; do pass.
upper
Feb 3, 2026
Upper · Passed
Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care at 10:30 AM.
upper
Jan 29, 2026
Upper · Passed
Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care at 8:00 AM.
upper
1 primary · 5 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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