The House and Senate capital budgets contain major investments for community projects to increase access to mental health services across the care continuum. WSHA is very pleased to see these funding levels that will help spur new services for some of the most complex patients. Both budgets also provide funding for the addition or expansion of dental chairs to certain provider clinics. Dental problems, like mental health, are a top reason why people visit the emergency department. The budgets contain different funding levels for facilities. Click here to read the comparison document.
Hearings today
There were also hearings in the House Appropriations Committee today on HB 2202 and SB 5815.
SB 2202, which was recently introduced and addresses the eligibility of emergency medical technicians for membership in the law enforcement officers’ and firefighters’ retirement system plan 2. AWPHD supports the bill, and it is its top priority this legislative session. SB 5815 concerns the hospital safety net assessment, and it is a high-priority bill that WSHA supports.
Bills that have passed both houses
Wednesday was the cutoff for most bills to pass the opposite chamber, and we are now heading into the final stretch of this year’s legislative session. We are happy to report that several of the significant bills WSHA supports made it through both the House and Senate and have a final version ageed upon by both bodies, and are now headed to the governor for his action.
Many other bills WSHA supports have passed both chambers but have yet to have a final version agreed upon by the House and Senate. Differences between the two chambers must be resolved and an agreement between the House and the Senate must be reached before a bill can be delivered to the governor.
Bills are listed in numerical order.
High priority bills WSHA supports that have passed both chambers (some are awaiting final agreement between chambers before going to the governor)
| Bill Number | Description | WSHA Position |
| HB 1337 | Establishing an interstate physician licensure compact | Support |
| HB 1338 | Washington state health insurance pool | Support |
| HB 1427 | Concerning opioid treatment programs | Support |
| HB 1477 | Concerning disclosure of health-related information with people with a close relationship with a patient | Support as amended |
| HB 1520 | Alternative payment methodology for WRHAP pilot | Support |
| HB 1547 | Certificate of need exemption for psychiatric beds | Support |
| HB 1641 | Informed consent for homeless youth | Support |
| HB 1713 | Children’s mental health improvements | Support |
| HB 1714 | Concerning nursing staffing practices at hospitals | Support |
| SB 5435 | Allowing mental health information to be used by care coordinators | Support |
| SB 5436 | Expanding where patients can receive services delivered through telemedicine | Support |
| SB 5581 | Authorizing public hospital districts to participate in self-insurance risk pools with nonprofit hospitals | Support |
High priority bills AWPHD supports that have passed both chambers (both are awaiting final agreement between chambers before going to the governor)
| Bill Number | Description | AWPHD Position |
| HB 1594 | Improving public records administration | Support |
| HB 1595 | Concerning costs associated with responding to public records requests | Support |
