SB 5762 increases a tax on certain phone services - including radio access lines, VoIP, and switched access lines - to fund Washington's 988 behavioral health crisis hotline. The tax rate will gradually rise from 24 cents to 80 cents per line over time, with all proceeds deposited into a dedicated account for crisis services. Funds must support 988 hotline operations, mobile crisis response teams, and community-based mental health services, while prohibiting use for replacing existing mental health funding. The bill is currently under review in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.
This bill updates Washington's child fatality review process to better identify preventable causes of death for children up to age 19. It requires local health departments to conduct confidential reviews of child deaths, protecting all private information collected from families, health staff, and medical providers. The law mandates that hospitals, schools, law enforcement, and other agencies must provide medical records and related data without charge for these reviews, while prohibiting the use of review materials in court proceedings. It also creates legal immunity for review participants and allows health departments to track trends through anonymized data. The policy change replaces outdated "mortality" terminology with "fatality" throughout the statute.
SB 5254 strengthens patients' rights to access their electronic health care information by limiting fees charged by health care providers. It prohibits providers from charging more than $50 for electronic records delivered to patients, their representatives, attorneys, or other treating health care providers. The bill also requires the Department of Health to establish fee standards based on actual costs (not per page) for accessing records. This directly affects patients seeking their health data and health care facilities handling record requests.
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.
SB 5424 transfers all assets and operations of Evergreen State College to the University of Washington (UW) by July 1, 2026, creating a new UW health sciences campus focused on training healthcare workers. This directly affects Evergreen students and staff (who will transition to UW programs), Washington communities (which will gain more behavioral health, nursing, and dental services), and UW (which assumes ownership of Evergreen’s property). Key mechanisms include abolishing Evergreen State College, establishing a health-focused mission for the new campus, requiring an advisory committee to shape programs aligned with workforce needs, and mandating a 10-year financial plan for sustainability. The campus will prioritize undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing, dental, and behavioral health fields to address regional healthcare shortages. The bill expires August 1, 2029, with a requirement for the UW board to submit a financial plan by July 1, 2028.
This bill creates a statewide cardiac and stroke care registry requiring hospitals and emergency medical services to submit quarterly data starting in 2027. It directs the Washington Department of Health to analyze this data to improve care coordination, identify gaps, and provide annual public reports on system performance. The law specifically supports rural and critical access hospitals with technical assistance and equipment training, while also funding public education on stroke and heart attack symptoms. The focus is on using collected data to enhance timely, evidence-based care and reduce preventable deaths from cardiac and stroke events.
SB 5096 removes a clause from Washington's standard healthcare directive form that previously stated a directive would be invalid during pregnancy. This change ensures that advance directives for life-sustaining treatment apply equally during pregnancy, without requiring separate documentation. The bill amends the model form under the Natural Death Act (RCW 70.122.030) by deleting the specific pregnancy reference in section (d). It directly affects individuals using advance healthcare directives, particularly pregnant people or those with pregnancy-related health concerns, by eliminating an outdated exclusion. The policy change is procedural, updating the standard form to reflect current medical practice without altering other directive provisions.
HB 1828 authorizes certified medical assistants with an EMT credential (medical assistant-EMT) to work at source plasma donation centers as physician substitutes, directly affecting plasma centers and these healthcare professionals. The bill amends Washington law to allow transferability of this specific certification exclusively between hospitals licensed under chapter 70.41 RCW and plasma donation centers (per RCW 18.360.040(4)). It does not change the scope of practice for these medical assistants but enables their use at plasma centers by removing certification transfer barriers. The law applies only to medical assistant-EMT certifications, not other medical assistant roles. Plasma centers can now employ these certified staff for tasks like blood draws under physician supervision, as defined in the bill's scope of practice provisions.
HB 2072 imposes a fee of $0.01 per morphine milligram equivalent on opioid manufacturers for prescription opioids dispensed in Washington. The fee funds a new "prescription opioid impact account," with 50% dedicated to behavioral health programs for children, youth, and young adults. Funds also reimburse the state for modifying the prescription monitoring program and cover administrative costs (capped at 12% annually). Manufacturers must report quarterly opioid dispensing data to the Department of Health and pay the fee within 45 days, with penalties for late payment.
SB 5668 requires Washington's state board of health to update newborn screening panels by July 2026 to align with the federal recommended screening panel, adding conditions like metabolic disorders within 12 months of federal updates. It mandates a feasibility review for new additions, assessing costs, available funding, treatment access, and screening technology before implementation. The bill directly affects newborns (through expanded screening), hospitals (which collect blood samples), and the Department of Health (which administers the program and fees). It also allows public petitions for new screenings if scientific evidence supports them, ensuring additions are evidence-based and timely. The law modifies existing statutes to streamline this process while maintaining parental opt-out rights for religious reasons.
