Healthcare

signed · Washington · Senate Apr 30, 2025

SB 5337: Creating a certification for memory care services.

SB 5337 establishes a state certification for memory care services provided by licensed assisted living facilities in Washington. This bill aims to standardize memory care definitions and help consumers make informed choices for individuals with dementia. After July 1, 2026, facilities advertising or operating memory care units must be certified, requiring them to meet specific standards for physical infrastructure, staffing levels, and policies for resident safety and behavior. Certified facilities must also provide regular resident assessments, ensure staff complete annual dementia-related continuing education, and offer daily programming with varied activities tailored to residents' needs.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareStandardizes memory care services for dementia patients, requiring certified facilities to meet safety/staffing standards, improving care quality and consumer choice in healthcare services.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Washington · Senate Apr 29, 2025

SB 5191: Concerning paid family leave premium collection for dockworkers.

Substitute Senate Bill 5191 modifies the definition of "employer" within the state's paid family and medical leave law. It clarifies that representatives for employers of dockworkers are considered employers for the purpose of collecting paid family and medical leave premiums. This applies to dockworkers who typically work for several employers interchangeably under a collective bargaining agreement, ensuring premium collection for this specific group of workers.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareClarifies employer definition to ensure paid family leave premiums for dockworkers, expanding access to healthcare-related benefits under medical leave law.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentClarifies employer definition to ensure dockworkers under collective bargaining receive paid family leave benefits, expanding access to worker protections and benefits.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Washington · House Apr 25, 2025

HB 1971: Increasing access to prescription hormone therapy.

HB 1971 requires health plans to provide reimbursement for a 12-month refill of covered prescription hormone therapy, obtained at one time, for their enrollees. This aims to increase access to these medications for patients of all ages. Starting January 1, 2026, health plans must comply, unless the enrollee requests a smaller supply, the provider instructs a smaller supply, or the therapy is a controlled substance. The 12-month supply applies to medications that can be safely stored at room temperature, while controlled substances must be covered for the maximum refill allowed by law. Prescription hormone therapy is defined as FDA-approved drugs that medically adjust hormone levels, excluding certain glucagon-like peptide-1 medications.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates 12-month coverage for hormone therapy, improving patient access to medications under insurance plans.90% 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 5200: Concerning veterans' medical foster homes.

SB 5200 exempts specific veterans' medical foster homes from state adult family home licensing requirements. This applies to homes overseen and annually reviewed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, provided they care exclusively for three or fewer veterans. However, caregivers in these exempted homes must still comply with all applicable state laws regarding training, certification, and background checks. The bill aims to clarify the regulatory framework for these specialized veteran care facilities.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExempts VA-oversight veteran medical foster homes from licensing, improving access to specialized care without restricting coverage.85% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransExempts VA-oversight homes from licensing, reducing barriers for veterans' medical foster care while maintaining safety standards.95% 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 5355: Improving safety at institutions of higher education while supporting student survivors of sexual assault.

SB 5355 establishes new protections and resources for student survivors of sex-based violence and harassment at Washington state's larger institutions of higher education. The bill grants survivors specific rights, including access to trauma-informed employees, a timely institutional investigation process, and mental health or counseling services. It also requires institutions to offer supportive measures, such as academic adjustments or schedule modifications, and honor court-issued no-contact orders. Additionally, the bill mandates training for Title IX employees and requires certain campuses to establish committees to evaluate and improve survivor support services.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes protections, resources, and supportive measures for student survivors at higher education institutions, enhancing safety and access within educational settings.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates mental health/counseling services for survivors, directly advancing healthcare access within institutional protections for sexual assault survivors.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