Healthcare

signed · Washington · House May 12, 2025

HB 1422: Modifying the drug take-back program.

HB 1422 modifies Washington State's drug take-back program, affecting drug manufacturers, wholesalers, retail pharmacies, and program operators. The bill expands reporting requirements for program operators, mandating detailed annual reports including expenditures, budgets, and explanations if collection goals are not met. It strengthens the Department of Health's enforcement capabilities by detailing penalties for non-participating manufacturers and non-compliant program operators, including civil fines up to $2,000 per day. Additionally, the bill revises how the Department of Health sets fees, allowing them to fully cover administrative, oversight, and enforcement costs for the program.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands reporting and enforcement for drug take-back program, enhancing public health safety and preventing medication misuse, aligning with healthcare protection goals.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Washington · House May 12, 2025

HB 1186: Expanding the situations in which medications can be dispensed or delivered from hospitals and health care entities.

House Bill 1186 expands the situations in which hospitals and health care entities can dispense medications directly to patients. It allows practitioners in hospital emergency departments to prescribe and distribute limited amounts of prepackaged emergency medications to patients being discharged. This is permitted when community or outpatient pharmacy services are unavailable or inaccessible, or for specific treatments like human immunodeficiency virus postexposure prophylaxis. Hospitals must establish clear policies, including a list of approved medications, staff training, patient counseling, and generally limit supplies to a 48-hour maximum, with some exceptions. The bill also adjusts similar medication dispensing limits for other health care entities.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands emergency medication access in hospitals when pharmacies are unavailable, improving patient access to critical treatments like HIV PEP.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Washington · House Apr 25, 2025

HB 1272: Extending the program to address complex cases of children in crisis.

Substitute House Bill 1272 extends a program designed to address complex cases involving children in crisis. It maintains a children and youth multisystem care project director who oversees a rapid care team. This team's purpose is to quickly identify appropriate services and living arrangements for children who are in hospitals without medical necessity or experiencing unstable placements, facilitating their safe discharge and stable care. The bill also requires the governor to submit annual reports to the legislature detailing the program's data and recommendations.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill extends program providing rapid care coordination for children in crisis, ensuring timely healthcare access and stable placements per summary. Directly advances health services for vulnerable children.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Washington · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 5493: Concerning hospital price transparency.

SB 5493, titled "Concerning hospital price transparency," mandates that hospitals in Washington State increase their transparency regarding service costs. By July 1, 2027, hospitals must publish all required data and comply with federal price transparency rules (45 C.F.R. Part 180, subparts A and B, as of January 1, 2025). Starting July 1, 2027, hospitals will also be required to annually submit machine-readable files of all standard charges and consumer-friendly lists of shoppable services to the state department. This bill directly affects hospitals by requiring them to disclose pricing information, aiming to make healthcare costs more accessible to the public.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates hospital price transparency to improve patient access to cost information, aligning with healthcare policy goals of enhancing consumer choice and reducing hidden costs.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Washington · House Apr 22, 2025

HB 1755: Exempting elective percutaneous coronary intervention performed in certain hospitals owned or operated by a state entity from certificate of need requirements.

HB 1755 exempts certain hospitals that are owned or operated by a state entity from needing a "certificate of need" (CON) for elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures. A CON is a regulatory approval often required for healthcare facilities to offer new services or expand existing ones. This bill allows these specific state-affiliated hospitals to provide a type of heart procedure without going through that particular state approval process. The change directly affects these hospitals and the patients who receive elective PCI services there.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves certificate of need requirement for state hospital heart procedures, reducing regulatory barriers and improving access to cardiac care.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Washington · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 5696: Concerning the sales and use tax supporting chemical dependency and mental health treatment programs.

Senate Bill 5696 amends the law concerning a local one-tenth of one percent sales and use tax designated for chemical dependency and mental health treatment programs. The bill clarifies that funds collected from this tax may be used for the new construction of facilities and modifications to existing facilities that support these treatment and therapeutic court programs. It also affirms that these programs and their associated facility needs are considered part of local government public safety initiatives. This provides counties and cities with clear guidance on using these tax revenues for infrastructure related to these services.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesClarifies tax funds for facility construction/modifications supporting mental health programs, directing existing revenue toward essential services.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds mental health/chemical dependency treatment programs tied to therapeutic courts and public safety, directly supporting rehabilitation and reducing recidivism in criminal justice reform.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareClarifies tax funds for mental health/chemical dependency facility construction/modifications, directly funding treatment programs per bill summary.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Washington · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 5498: Concerning contraceptive coverage.

This bill updates the law concerning contraceptive coverage for individuals enrolled in health benefit plans in Washington State. It mandates that health plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, must cover a 12-month supply of contraceptive drugs obtained at one time. This provision applies unless the enrollee requests a smaller supply or their prescribing provider instructs otherwise. The bill also allows enrollees to receive these drugs on-site at the provider's office if available and defines "contraceptive drugs" as all FDA-approved drugs used to prevent pregnancy.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates 12-month contraceptive coverage in health plans, expanding access and reducing barriers to essential reproductive healthcare.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Washington · House Apr 21, 2025

HB 1287: Addressing the disclosure of health information for care coordination.

House Bill 1287 expands the circumstances under which certain licensed and credentialed healthcare professionals can disclose patient health information. It specifically allows for disclosure when already permitted under Chapter 70.02 RCW, which governs health care information. For some licensed professionals, the bill also permits sharing information if they reasonably believe it will prevent an imminent danger to an individual's health or safety, though they are not obligated to do so. This aims to facilitate care coordination and address safety concerns by modifying existing confidentiality rules.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands permitted health info disclosure for care coordination and safety, improving patient access and care continuity per bill language.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Washington · House Apr 16, 2025

HB 1114: Concerning the respiratory care interstate compact.

HB 1114 establishes the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact, an agreement among participating states. This compact allows respiratory therapists who are actively licensed in one member state to practice in other member states, thereby granting them a "compact privilege." The bill's purpose is to improve public access to respiratory therapy services, streamline the process for therapists to practice across state lines, and support relocating military members and their spouses. It also aims to address workforce shortages and enhance cooperation among states in regulating respiratory therapy.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill establishes interstate compact to improve access to respiratory therapy services by enabling licensed therapists to practice across states, directly enhancing patient access to healthcare services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Washington · House Apr 16, 2025

HB 1824: Concerning inspections for accredited birthing centers.

House Bill 1824 modifies the state's inspection requirements for birthing centers in Washington. It allows birthing centers accredited by a recognized body to be exempt from state licensure surveys, provided the accrediting body's standards are substantially equivalent to state requirements. To qualify, an on-site accreditation survey must have occurred within the last three years, and relevant reports must be provided to the Department of Health. The Department of Health retains authority to review accrediting standards, survey areas not covered by accreditation, and conduct validation surveys on a portion of accredited centers.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareStreamlines inspections for accredited birthing centers, reducing regulatory burden while maintaining standards, improving operational efficiency for healthcare access.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare