Establishing the essential worker health care program.

HB 1523 establishes the Essential Worker Health Care Program to provide nursing home workers in Washington with access to high-quality, affordable health coverage through their employers. Participating nursing home operators receive supplemental funding to support multiemployer health plans, while committing to maintain or increase their spending on employee health benefits (adjusted for inflation) and use funds to supplement, not replace, existing coverage. Employers must document prior health care spending, allocate funds through certified health plans, and report annually on benefit improvements. The program targets workforce instability in nursing homes - where many workers are women of color and immigrants - by aiming to reduce turnover and improve care quality through better health care access.