Healthcare

passed · Washington · House Mar 12, 2026

HB 2319: Renaming certain state residential facilities for persons with developmental disabilities.

HB 2319 renames three state facilities currently referred to as "schools" in statutes to "residential habilitation centers" to better reflect their actual purpose of providing habilitative support (like daily living skills training and medical services) rather than education. Specifically, Fircrest School, Rainier School, and Yakima Valley School become Fircrest Residential Habilitation Center, Rainier Residential Habilitation Center, and Yakima Valley Residential Habilitation Center, respectively, while Lakeland Village retains its existing name. The bill clarifies that these name changes are purely administrative - no services, operations, or funding access will be altered. It also updates related statutes to use the new facility names consistently across state law.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRenames facilities providing medical services to reflect healthcare focus, aligning with accurate representation of habilitative health support per bill summary.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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passed · Washington · House Mar 12, 2026

HB 2196: Expanding access to PANDAS PANS treatment.

This bill requires most health insurance plans (excluding public employee plans) to cover intravenous immunoglobulin therapy for children diagnosed with PANDAS (pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections) or PANS (pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome) starting January 2027. It mandates coverage for three initial monthly treatment courses and ongoing care as medically necessary, after less intensive treatments fail or aren't tolerated. The law prohibits insurers from denying coverage based on prior treatment history, diagnostic name changes, requiring ineffective symptom-only therapies first, or restricting coverage inconsistent with medical guidelines. It also ensures coverage for out-of-state treatment when local care isn't available.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurance coverage for PANDAS/PANS treatment, expanding patient access to necessary medical care per bill's explicit requirements.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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passed · Washington · House Mar 12, 2026

HB 1002: Recognizing posttraumatic stress disorder as an occupational disease for county coroners, examiners, and investigative personnel.

HB 1002 recognizes posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as an occupational disease for county coroners, medical examiner personnel, and investigative staff in Washington State. It amends workers' compensation rules (RCW 51.08.142) to allow these workers to file claims for PTSD-related injuries, which were previously excluded. The bill requires pre-employment psychological exams for some groups (like firefighters and law enforcement) hired after specific dates to confirm no preexisting PTSD. This change directly affects public safety workers in high-stress roles who develop PTSD from job-related trauma, expanding their eligibility for workers' compensation coverage.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands mental health coverage by allowing PTSD claims under workers' comp, removing prior exclusion and enabling treatment access for affected workers.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands workers' compensation coverage for PTSD claims, protecting county coroners and investigators by allowing injury claims previously excluded under workers' comp rules.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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passed · Washington · House Mar 12, 2026

HB 1574: Protecting access to life-saving care and substance use services.

HB 1574 expands "Good Samaritan" protections for individuals seeking or experiencing medical assistance during a drug-related overdose. The bill prevents these individuals from being arrested, charged, or prosecuted for drug possession if the evidence was obtained due to the overdose. It also protects them from civil forfeiture of property (with exceptions) and penalties for certain violations, such as probation or restraining orders, if these were discovered as a result of the overdose. Furthermore, it clarifies that these overdose protections can override mandatory arrest requirements for other offenses when the evidence is linked to the overdose and the need for medical assistance.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticePrevents criminal prosecution for drug possession during overdose response, aligning with criminal justice reform by reducing barriers to seeking medical help and protecting civil rights.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands access to life-saving care by removing legal barriers for overdose assistance, protecting patient rights during substance use treatment, aligning with healthcare access and protection indicators.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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signed · Washington · House Mar 11, 2026

HB 2294: Prohibiting negative use restrictions on real property that have the effect of limiting consumer access to food and medicine.

HB 2294 bans private agreements that prevent grocery stores or pharmacies from operating on property where they would otherwise be allowed under local zoning laws. This directly affects property owners, developers, and retailers subject to restrictive covenants or leases that limit food and medicine access. The law prohibits rules restricting store types, sizes, or locations - except for pre-existing agreements or store relocations meeting specific criteria like proximity and timing. Enforcement is handled by the state attorney general and local governments through existing consumer protection laws.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBans restrictions preventing pharmacies/grocery stores from operating, directly improving access to medicine and healthcare services per bill's focus on limiting access barriers.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

signed · Washington · House Mar 9, 2026

HB 2492: Requiring state registered apprenticeships in the building and construction trades to provide behavioral health and wellness training.

HB 2492 requires state-registered plumbing apprenticeships in Washington to include four hours of approved behavioral health and wellness training as part of their continuing education requirements. This applies directly to apprentices in the plumbing construction trade who need to maintain their certification. The training must cover topics like destigmatizing mental health, recognizing distress, suicide prevention, substance use awareness, and connecting to resources. It modifies existing certification rules (RCW 18.106.070) to allow these hours to count toward the required 24 hours of annual continuing education. The bill does not create new licensing standards but integrates mental health support into existing apprenticeship training.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates 4 hours of behavioral health training covering mental health destigmatization, suicide prevention, and resource access for apprentices, directly advancing mental health services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

signed · Washington · House Mar 9, 2026

HB 2242: Preserving access to preventive services by clarifying state authority and definitions.

HB 2242 clarifies and preserves access to preventive health services covered by most Washington health insurance plans. It requires plans issued after April 1, 2026, to cover evidence-based services like vaccinations, cancer screenings, and other preventive care without cost-sharing, based on current U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) ratings and CDC recommendations. The bill updates coverage requirements to align with federal guidelines as of June 30, 2025, and allows the state Department of Health to issue immunization guidance without standard rulemaking. This directly affects Washington residents using health insurance and insurers offering new or updated plans, ensuring consistent access to preventive care without adding new requirements for patient consent or immunization mandates.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates no cost-sharing for preventive services (vaccinations, screenings) per USPSTF/CDC, preserving access to evidence-based care without restricting coverage.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

signed · Washington · House Mar 9, 2026

HB 2155: Concerning the use of nursing titles.

This bill restricts the use of specific nursing titles in Washington State to only licensed professionals. It prohibits anyone without a valid license from using titles like "registered nurse" (R.N.), "nurse practitioner" (N.P.), or "licensed practical nurse" (L.P.N.), including nonhuman entities like businesses. Christian Science nurses listed in their official journal may still use "Christian Science nurse" if they don’t claim other nursing credentials. The law expires June 30, 2027, after taking effect on the same date.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRestricts nursing titles to licensed professionals, preventing unqualified practitioners and protecting patient safety by ensuring only qualified individuals use those titles.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

passed both · Washington · Senate Mar 9, 2026

SJM 8002: Concerning Medicare.

Senate Joint Memorial 8002 is a resolution from the Washington State Legislature to the federal government concerning Medicare. It expresses opposition to Medicare privatization and urges federal action to create a more equitable system between Original Medicare and private Medicare Advantage plans. The memorial specifically requests the federal government to eliminate Original Medicare's 20 percent copays, add benefits like dental and vision, cap out-of-pocket medical expenses, and eliminate excessive administrative costs and profits within Medicare Advantage. It also seeks to recoup funds from documented overpayments and fraud in Medicare Advantage programs to support a stronger Original Medicare system for seniors and disabled beneficiaries.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill opposes Medicare privatization, seeks to eliminate copays, add dental/vision benefits, and cap out-of-pocket costs - directly advancing equitable healthcare access and strengthening Medicare coverage.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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passed · Washington · House Feb 19, 2026

HB 1589: Concerning the relationships between health carriers and contracting providers.

House Bill 1589 updates regulations concerning health insurance companies and healthcare providers. It requires the state insurance commissioner to ensure health carriers' networks include a sufficient number of contracted providers, specifically for emergency, anesthesiology, and behavioral health services. The bill outlines conditions under which carriers can use alternative methods to meet network needs, ensuring patients do not incur greater costs. Additionally, it mandates that health carriers offer providers a meaningful, good-faith opportunity to negotiate contract terms, prohibiting specific actions like failing to provide a clear fee schedule or contract changes.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires sufficient provider networks for emergency, anesthesiology, and behavioral health services, ensuring patient access without increased costs, directly advancing healthcare access and patient rights.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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