Healthcare (Long-Term Care)

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 2276: Improving the functioning of home care rate statutes.

HB 2276 requires Washington's Department of Health to annually calculate home care agency labor rates (every odd-numbered year) based on negotiated wages, benefits, and employer costs for direct care workers. The bill mandates that these rates fund specific worker compensation items like wages, vacation/sick pay, health benefits, training, and travel time costs - prohibiting duplicate accounting or misuse of funds. Home care agencies must verify proper use through third-party audits or union attestations, with the department establishing transparent processes for exemptions during extraordinary circumstances. This directly affects home care agencies and the direct care workers they employ, ensuring state-funded rates align with actual labor costs and worker protections under state law.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates funding for home care workers' health benefits and wages, strengthening workforce support in healthcare delivery.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates funding for direct care worker compensation including wages, benefits, and training, preventing misuse of funds to protect worker rights.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care Collective Bargaining Labor Standards

Track

in committee · Washington · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 2425: Concerning nursing delegation.

HB 2425 clarifies when registered nurses in Washington can delegate tasks to certified nursing assistants or home care aides. It allows delegation of "simple care tasks" like blood pressure monitoring or insulin device setup in community-based or in-home settings, but prohibits delegation of medication administration (except specific insulin monitoring), sterile procedures, or tasks requiring nursing judgment. Nurses must verify staff competency, evaluate patient stability, and supervise delegated tasks, with strict limits on what can be delegated based on patient condition. The bill applies directly to nurses, nursing assistants under Chapter 18.88A, and home care aides under Chapter 18.88B in non-acute care settings.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareClarifies safe delegation protocols for nurses, prohibiting unsafe tasks like medication administration and requiring competency checks to protect patient safety in home/community care settings.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Long-Term Care

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in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SB 6107: Concerning nursing delegation.

SB 6107 clarifies when registered nurses in Washington can delegate tasks to nursing assistants or home care aides. It prohibits delegating medication administration (except for specific insulin injections under strict supervision), tasks requiring substantial skill, or procedures involving tissue piercing. Nurses must verify the delegatee's competency, assess patient stability, and ensure the patient has a "stable and predictable condition" before delegating. This directly affects nurses, nursing assistants, home care aides, and patients in home or community care settings (like assisted living or in-home care), but excludes acute care facilities.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareClarifies safe delegation protocols for nurses, requiring competency checks and stable patient conditions to prevent unsafe task delegation, thereby protecting patient safety in healthcare delivery.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Long-Term Care

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1026: Protecting spouses by allowing the sharing of benefits under the long-term services and supports trust program.

HB 1026 allows a spouse receiving long-term care benefits under Washington's program to transfer some or all of their available benefits to their partner. This directly affects married couples where one spouse qualifies for benefits but the other spouse needs care but doesn't yet meet eligibility requirements (or has exhausted their own benefits). The bill requires the receiving spouse to meet functional care needs criteria and specifies that transferring benefits reduces the sender's available benefits. It makes no changes to existing eligibility rules but creates a new pathway for spousal benefit sharing within the current program structure.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllows spouse benefit transfers under long-term care program, expanding access to healthcare services for married couples needing care but not eligible alone.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care

Track

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5606: Providing sufficient funding for the Washington state long-term care ombuds program.

SB 5606 requires Washington’s long-term care ombuds program to develop annual funding recommendations by June 1, 2026, and every even-numbered year after. These recommendations must ensure funding meets the Institute of Medicine’s recommended ratio of one ombuds per 2,000 residents, account for projected growth in long-term care beds, inflation, and administrative needs. The bill directly affects residents of licensed long-term care facilities - classified as vulnerable adults - who rely on the ombuds program to resolve complaints about their care and rights. It creates a formal process for the program and state agencies to secure adequate funding, addressing a 2020 report that found current resources were insufficient to meet basic service standards.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRequires annual funding recommendations to ensure adequate budget for long-term care ombuds program, directly advancing public service funding per IOM standards.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates funding recommendations to meet IOM ratio, ensuring adequate oversight for vulnerable long-term care residents, protecting patient rights and access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care

Track

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5448: Exempting certain dialysis services from certificate of need requirements.

SB 5448 exempts dialysis services provided within skilled nursing facilities from Washington State's certificate of need (CON) requirements. This directly affects dialysis providers operating inside skilled nursing facilities, removing a state approval barrier for these services. The bill allows such facilities to offer dialysis without needing prior state permission, provided they meet specific criteria like geographic accessibility and serving a majority of enrolled patients from a qualifying health plan. Facilities must apply for exemption with the state department, which must review applications within 30 days. This change streamlines access to dialysis care for residents in skilled nursing settings without altering broader CON rules.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves regulatory barrier for dialysis services in skilled nursing facilities, improving patient access to essential care without state approval requirements.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Long-Term Care

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1889: Adopting the department of social and health services report recommendations addressing a regulatory oversight plan for continuing care retirement communities.

HB 1889 adopts recommendations from the Department of Social and Health Services to create a regulatory oversight plan for continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) in Washington. It requires CCRCs to submit detailed financial statements, disclosure documents, and implementation plans when applying for registration, starting July 2027, to ensure transparency about fees and solvency. The bill directly affects CCRCs (which provide long-term housing and care) and their residents - both those with formal residency agreements and those paying for services fee-for-service - by mandating clearer communication about financial health and service coverage. Key provisions include requiring audited financial reports showing 10-year projections, resident notification of financial decisions, and board participation opportunities, aiming to protect residents from unexpected cost shifts or service disruptions.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires CCRCs to disclose financials and solvency plans, ensuring transparency and protecting residents' access to long-term care services by preventing financial instability disruptions.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingRequires CCRC transparency on fees/solvency, protecting residents' rights through mandatory disclosures and financial oversight.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care

Track

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

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5531: Streamlining the home care worker background check process.

SB 5531 streamlines background checks for home care workers by removing automatic disqualification for certain past convictions after specific time periods pass (e.g., cannabis sales after 3 years, theft after 10 years, or assault/robbery after 5 years). It directly affects home care workers, long-term care providers, and contracted agencies working with vulnerable adults or children. Key provisions include allowing temporary unsupervised access for up to 30 days during a character review while maintaining a requirement for written notice to guardians about pending reviews. The bill also clarifies that agencies may use discretion in reviewing past convictions, with a rebuttable presumption supporting their decisions.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRemoves automatic disqualification for certain past convictions after time periods, promoting second chances for workers with criminal records aligning with criminal justice reform principles.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves barriers for home care workers, improving access to long-term care services for vulnerable patients.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRemoves automatic disqualification for past convictions after time periods, reducing employment barriers for home care workers and advancing their right to work.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy Firearms Violent Crime Long-Term Care

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signed · Washington · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 5185: Establishing preceptorship and hardship pathways to medical practice for international medical graduates.

SB 5185 proposes a new pathway for international medical graduates (IMGs) to obtain full medical licensure in Washington without completing standard U.S. postgraduate training. It establishes a "preceptorship pathway" requiring 48 months of supervised clinical practice under a licensed physician, followed by evaluations and board certification (ABMS or AAGP), to qualify for unrestricted licensure. The bill also creates hardship waivers for IMGs facing refugee status, persecution, or other documented barriers preventing standard documentation, excluding inability to pass ECFMG exams. This directly affects IMGs seeking to practice in Washington and the Washington Medical Commission, which would implement the new rules. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates licensure pathway for IMGs, expanding medical workforce access and addressing provider shortages in healthcare services.95% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationCreates hardship waivers for refugee/persecuted IMGs and establishes licensure pathway, directly advancing immigrant access to medical services and integration.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care Medical Licensing Refugees & Asylum