Other Bills We Support

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Health Care

SB 5140 Protecting pregnancy and miscarriage-related patient care. Sponsor: Sen. Patty Kurderer
If a health care provider is acting within the provider's scope of practice, education, training, and experience, a Hospital Board may not prohibit the health care provider from providing health care services related to miscarriage management and treatment for ectopic pregnancies, in cases in which failure to provide the service would violate the accepted standard of care or when the patient presents a medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity such that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to pose a risk to the patient's life or irreversible complications or impairment to the patient's fertility.

 STATUS UPDATE: Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care on Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 8:00 AM

HB 1052 Concerning group insurance contract performance standards. Sponsor: Rep. Jessica Bateman.
A very technical bill that, if passed, will require a group insurance contract that includes performance standards, the standards must be described in the group insurance contract and filed with the Insurance Commissioner. The Insurance Commissioner may adopt rules to implement these provisions on performance standards. Requested by the Health Care Authority.

 STATUS UPDATE: Public Hearing was on Thursday, Jan. 13 and Exec. Comm. on Jan. 14.

HB 1141 Increasing access to the death with dignity act.
Makes changes to the 2009 Death with Dignity Act, mainly changes ‘physician’ to ‘qualified medical provider’. Nothing prevents a health care provider from participating in Death with Dignity Act of 2009 while acting outside the course and scope of the provider's capacity as an employee or independent contractor and while at a location that is not on the hospital facility premises. The Department of Health shall develop a simple and clear form to be submitted by hospitals. The form must provide the public with specific information about which end of life-services are prohibited at each hospital. The form must include contact information for the hospital in case patients have specific questions about services available at the hospital.

 STATUS UPDATE: Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness on Monday, Jan. 18 at 1:30 PM. Scheduled for executive session in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness on Jan. 20 at 8:00 AM.

SB 5020  Assessing a penalty on unsupported prescription drug price increases. Sponsor: Sen. Keiser.
Unsupported drug prices means an increase in price for a prescription drug for which there was no, or inadequate, new clinical evidence to support the price increase. This bill would allow a penalty to drug manufacturers who increase drug prices without providing such evidence.

 STATUS UPDATE: Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care Jan 22 at 8:00 AM.

SB 5088 Addressing a shortage of primary care services by increasing the scope of practice of naturopathic physicians.
Naturopathic physicians provide appropriate primary care services consistent with their education and patient populations. They need authority for all appropriate primary care services.
This act supports better patient care, prevents duplication of services, reduces emergency department visits, and is more cost-effective for patients, health plans, and state agencies. Naturopathic medical training emphasizes behavioral health, counseling, and lifestyle medicine in addition to conventional medical diagnostics and treatments, including pharmaceutical prescriptions.

 STATUS UPDATE: Not scheduled for a public hearing as of Jan. 15.

SB 5052 Concerning the creation of health equity zones. Sponsor: Sen. Keiser.
"Health equity zone" means a contiguous geographic area that demonstrates measurable and documented health disparities and poor health outcomes, which may include but are not limited to high rates of maternal complications, newborn health complications, and chronic and infectious disease, is populated by communities of color or immigrant communities, and is small enough for targeted interventions to have a significant impact on health outcomes and health disparities. The state intends to work with community leaders within the health equity zones to share information and coordinate efforts with the goal of addressing the most urgent needs.

 STATUS UPDATE: Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care on Monday, Jan. 18 at 1:30 PM.

Behavioral Health

HB 1182 Enhancing and expanding behavioral health and suicide prevention crisis response services. Sponsor: Rep. Orwell.
An improved system will reduce reliance on emergency room services and the use of law enforcement response to behavioral health crises and will stabilize individuals in the community whenever possible. The Department of Health shall provide adequate funding for an expected increase in the use of the state's crisis lifeline call centers using the 988 crisis hotline prior to July 16, 2022. Further equity in addressing mental health and substance use treatment and assure a culturally and linguistically competent response to behavioral health crises. This bill has a large number of co-sponsors, twenty-seven.

 STATUS UPDATE: Contact Rep. Cody to request a Public Hearing.

HB 1063  Allowing additional renewals for behavioral health professional trainee credentials. Sponsor: Rep. Paul Harris.
As the rates of mental health issues and substance use increase it behooves the state to prepare these counseling professionals to meet the need. Currently an associate license may be renewed no more than six times. If the Secretary of Health finds that a waiver to allow additional renewals is justified due to barriers to testing or training resulting from a governor-declared emergency, additional renewals may be approved.

 STATUS UPDATE: Public Hearing was on January 14, 2021.

HB 1074  Concerning overdose and suicide fatality reviews. Sponsor: Rep. Strom Peterson.
A local health department may establish multidisciplinary overdose and suicide fatality review teams to review overdose or suicide deaths and to develop strategies for the prevention of overdose and suicide fatalities.

 STATUS UPDATE: Public Hearing: January 14, 2021. Scheduled for executive session in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness on Jan 20 at 8:00 AM.

SB 5074  Establishing safe station pilot programs.
The HCA must manage a grant program to award funding to fire departments in the state of Washington to implement Safe Station pilot programs that provides scheduled drop-in services to address and respond to substance use disorder treatment service inquiries at fire station. A certified substance use disorder peer specialist may be employed in a Safe Station pilot program.

 STATUS UPDATE: Scheduled for executive session in the Senate Committee on Behavioral Health Subcommittee to Health & Long Term Care on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 10:30 AM.

Reproductive Rights

HB 1009  Concerning student health plans. Sponsor: Rep. My-Linh Thai.
A student health plan issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2022, is subject to the abortion requirements applicable to other health plans. The student health plans to which this requirement applies include student health plans deemed by the Insurance Commissioner to have a short term limited purpose or duration while the covered person is enrolled as a regular full-time undergraduate or graduate student at an accredited higher education institution. Watch the Public Hearing that was heard on January 13, 2021 on TVW. Contact your Representatives to encourage passing this bill.

 STATUS UPDATE: Public Hearing was on Thursday, Jan. 13 and Exec. Comm. on Jan. 14.

Bills the League Opposes

HB1008  Prohibiting abortion on the basis of Down syndrome. Sponsor: Sen. Klippert
The League of Women Voters of the United States believes that public policy in a pluralistic society must affirm the constitutional right of privacy of the individual to make reproductive choices.