Healthcare

in committee · Washington · House Mar 5, 2026

HB 2748: Using preceptorships to train primary care physicians.

This bill requires Washington's health care board to measure and report on primary care spending, aiming to increase it to 12 percent of total health care expenditures. It mandates annual reports detailing how much is spent on primary care by different insurance carriers and providers, along with recommendations for overcoming data barriers. The legislation also directs the board to study the costs of preceptorships used to train primary care physicians in hospitals and clinical settings, with a final report due by December 2027. These actions are intended to address the shortage of primary care providers in rural and underserved areas while ensuring the data collection does not create excessive administrative burdens.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill aims to increase primary care spending to 12% and study preceptorship training, strengthening healthcare workforce and access.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Medical Licensing Primary Care

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in committee · Washington · Senate Mar 11, 2026

SB 6360: Establishing the family medicine residency training grant program.

This bill creates a grant program to fund family medicine residency positions at community health centers located in rural and underserved urban areas, aiming to address physician shortages in these communities. The program requires funded residency programs to offer at least two new positions each year, with requirements increasing as programs expand from first-year to third-year training slots. Funding for the program comes from a portion of tobacco taxes, with the first $7 million collected annually deposited into a dedicated account for grants and administrative costs. The bill also mandates a performance audit every five years to evaluate whether residency training at community health centers influences where physicians choose to practice.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill uses tobacco tax revenue to fund family medicine residency positions, strengthening healthcare access in underserved areas through increased government spending on essential services.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill creates grant program to fund family medicine residency positions, addressing physician shortages in underserved areas and improving healthcare access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Audits & Accountability Primary Care

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in committee · Washington · House Jan 27, 2026

HB 2677: Requiring coverage for seizure detection devices as durable medical equipment under certain circumstances.

This bill requires Washington state Medicaid to cover seizure detection devices as durable medical equipment under specific conditions. It amends existing Medicaid regulations to include these devices in the list of covered services for eligible individuals who need them. The legislation gives the state health department authority to establish rules for when and how these devices are approved and reimbursed. This change directly affects people with seizure disorders who rely on detection technology and their Medicaid coverage. The bill focuses on expanding medical equipment access rather than changing broader eligibility requirements.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands Medicaid coverage for seizure detection devices, improving patient access to essential medical equipment for individuals with seizure disorders.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill expands access to seizure detection technology by requiring Medicaid coverage, promoting digital health equity and accessibility for individuals with seizure disorders.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid

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in committee · Washington · House Feb 2, 2026

HB 2490: Providing an alternative condition for extraordinary medical placement for incarcerated individuals.

This bill modifies Washington State's rules for when incarcerated individuals can leave prison for medical reasons. It allows the Department of Corrections to authorize extraordinary medical placement for inmates who have permanent or degenerative conditions, are expected to die within six months, or have serious medical needs that cannot be met in prison, provided they are assessed as low risk and the move would save state money. The bill excludes death row inmates, those sentenced to life without parole, and persistent offenders from this program. It also requires electronic monitoring for those granted medical placement unless it would harm their health or interfere with medical equipment.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill improves conditions for incarcerated individuals by allowing medical placement for those with serious needs, promoting humane treatment and potentially reducing recidivism through better health care access.75% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill improves access to medical care for incarcerated individuals by allowing extraordinary medical placement for those with serious conditions, enhancing healthcare access and services.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Probation & Parole

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signed · Washington · Senate Mar 30, 2026

SB 6346: Establishing a tax on millionaires.

SB 6346 would impose a new tax on Washington households with annual income of $1 million or more, affecting approximately the top 0.5% of earners. Revenue generated would fund K-12 education, health care, higher education, and human services programs. The tax excludes income from selling family-owned businesses and real estate, while also including reductions to sales taxes on essentials like personal care products and business taxes through credits. This policy aims to shift tax burden toward high earners to support public services, as the bill states Washington’s current system is the second most regressive in the nation.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesImposes new tax on top earners to fund education/healthcare, shifting burden upward and directly allocating revenue to public services per support indicators.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill explicitly allocates tax revenue to fund K-12 education and higher education programs.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill explicitly allocates tax revenue to fund healthcare programs, directly increasing healthcare funding per summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Sales Tax K-12 Education

in committee · Washington · House Feb 28, 2026

HB 2745: Increasing temporarily insurance premium taxes on insurers to fund health insurance premium assistance.

HB 2745 temporarily increases the insurance premium tax rate for Washington insurers to fund health insurance premium assistance. For 2026, the tax rises to 2.75% (from a base 2.0%), and for 2027 onward, it remains at 2.0%. The portion of the tax exceeding 2% must be deposited into the state health care affordability account to support a program helping residents pay health insurance premiums. The bill prohibits insurers from passing this tax increase to consumers through higher premiums or rates, unless the insurance commissioner approves it to prevent carrier insolvency or consumer harm.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill temporarily increases insurer tax to fund health premium assistance program, directly allocating tax revenue to support public health affordability service.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds premium assistance for residents via increased insurer taxes, preventing premium hikes. Directly advances healthcare affordability through dedicated funding.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Insurance

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in committee · Washington · House Feb 19, 2026

HB 2720: Increasing access and resources for behavioral health emergency services providers by imposing a covered lives assessment on specific health plans.

HB 2720 imposes a $0.58 monthly fee per enrolled member on health carriers, self-funded employer plans, and multiemployer health plans operating in Washington starting January 2027. This fee funds behavioral health crisis services (like mobile response teams and crisis centers) for people not covered by Medicaid or who aren’t enrolled in Medicaid, addressing gaps where current insurance reimbursement systems fail. The bill creates a dedicated funding source to replace inconsistent billing to insurers, ensuring these critical services remain accessible without relying on Medicaid or taxpayer subsidies. It directly affects health plans covering Washington residents and aims to sustain crisis care access as mandated by existing mental health parity laws.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesImposes $0.58 monthly fee on health plans to fund behavioral health crisis services, creating dedicated tax revenue for public services.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareImposes fee to fund behavioral health crisis services for uninsured, addressing access gaps and increasing mental health funding.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid Mental Health

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in committee · Washington · Senate Feb 26, 2026

SB 6356: Using preceptorships to train primary care physicians.

SB 6356 requires Washington's health care board to track and report on primary care spending, aiming to increase it to 12% of total health care expenditures. It mandates annual reports detailing primary care spending by payer, provider type, and service area (like physical vs. behavioral health), while analyzing barriers to data collection and defining "primary care" consistently. The bill also directs the board to study costs of preceptorships (supervised clinical training for doctors) by 2027, specifically to address provider shortages in rural and underserved areas. These reports and studies will guide strategies to expand primary care access without increasing administrative burdens or overall health care costs. The law directly affects health care providers, insurers, and the state's health care board through new reporting obligations.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates increasing primary care spending to 12% of healthcare expenditures and requires tracking/reporting to improve funding allocation and access, directly advancing healthcare funding goals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medical Licensing Mental Health Primary Care

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in committee · Washington · House Feb 24, 2026

HB 2739: Sustaining life-saving and prosperity-building scientific research in Washington by establishing the Washington institute for scientific advancement.

HB 2739 establishes the Washington Institute for Scientific Advancement to offset federal funding cuts threatening research in Washington. It authorizes $6 billion in state bonds to fund critical scientific research at public universities and institutions, directly affecting fields like cancer treatment, veterinary medicine, climate science, and semiconductor technology. The bill aims to sustain ongoing projects jeopardized by federal grant reductions, including Washington State University's veterinary disease lab and University of Washington's $2.6 billion annual economic contribution. Proceeds will be allocated over three biennia to maintain research programs and prevent loss of scientific talent and economic impact.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAuthorizes $6B in state bonds for scientific research funding at public institutions, directly increasing public spending on essential programs per bill summary.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationFunds $6B for university research at public institutions, directly supporting higher education infrastructure and research initiatives per bill summary.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill explicitly funds climate science research, a core environmental field, to sustain projects threatened by federal cuts, directly advancing climate change research and environmental protection.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds cancer treatment and veterinary medicine research, directly supporting healthcare advancements through scientific research funding.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill explicitly funds semiconductor technology research with $6B state bonds, directly advancing technology through research investment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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in committee · Washington · House Feb 4, 2026

HB 2724: Establishing a tax on millionaires.

HB 2724 proposes a new tax on Washington residents with annual adjusted gross income of $1 million or more, affecting approximately the top 0.5% of households. The tax revenue would be deposited into the state general fund to support K-12 education, health care, higher education, human services, and the working families' tax credit. Key provisions include exempting sales of family-owned small businesses and real property from the tax, aligning the state definition of taxable income with federal rules (modified for state purposes), and reducing other taxes like sales tax on essential items. The bill aims to make the state tax system less regressive by shifting more burden to high earners while maintaining current tax rates for lower-income residents.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesImposes tax on top 0.5% to fund K-12, health care, and education programs via state general fund.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill directs millionaire tax revenue to fund K-12 education and higher education, explicitly increasing education funding per summary.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill allocates tax revenue to fund healthcare services as part of state general fund priorities95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Income Tax Sales Tax K-12 Education

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