Rep. Beth Doglio

Maddy summaryHB 2385 creates a Medicaid Access Program requiring Washington State to increase reimbursement rates for specific medical services (like anesthesia, surgery, behavioral health, and maternal care) that are currently paid at or below Medicare rates. These rates must be raised uniformly to match Medicare rates from the prior year, using funds collected in a dedicated account, and adjusted annually using the Medicare Economic Index after federal approval is secured. The bill mandates a study starting in 2032 to evaluate if these rate increases improve Medicaid access, tracking metrics like provider participation and patient access surveys. It also sets a 2032 deadline for federal approval, after which the program expires if approval isn't granted.

Maddy summaryHB 2192 updates Washington's Traffic Safety Commission to more systematically identify risk factors causing roadway fatalities. It establishes a new "fatality review committee" of traffic safety experts to analyze collisions resulting in death or serious injury, including those involving bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorists. The bill amends the Commission's purpose to focus explicitly on identifying these risk factors and coordinating statewide safety programs. This change directly affects the Commission's operations and how collision data is reviewed to inform future safety initiatives.

Maddy summaryHB 1501 requires associations in common interest communities (like homeowners' associations and apartment buildings) to respond in writing to unit or apartment owners' written inquiries about governance or operations within 30 days. If a legal opinion is needed, the association must provide a response within 60 days. Failure to comply bars the association from recovering legal fees in related disputes. The law applies to all such associations in Washington State and expires on January 1, 2028.

Maddy summaryHB 1634 establishes regional school safety centers in Washington state to help public school districts coordinate behavioral health support for students. The centers will provide training for school staff on suicide prevention, facilitate partnerships between schools and community health providers, offer Medicaid billing assistance, and support school-based threat assessment programs. This bill directly affects all public school districts, their staff (including counselors and psychologists), and students needing behavioral health services by improving access to existing resources through coordinated planning. It amends state law to require these centers to work with tribes and community partners to ensure culturally responsive support. The bill focuses on strengthening existing systems rather than creating new programs.

Maddy summaryHB 1128 creates a Washington state Child Care Workforce Standards Board to set minimum compensation and employment standards for child care workers. The board, composed of nine members including worker representatives (from family child care, center workers, and school-age programs), employer representatives, parent advocates, and state agency officials, will address low pay and poor working conditions that contribute to workforce instability. It requires the board to hold public hearings, establish standards with a six-member vote, and protect workers from retaliation for participating in the process. The law aims to improve child care quality and affordability by ensuring fair compensation and stable employment for workers directly serving children.

Maddy summaryHB 2338 authorizes community-scale weatherization projects that cover multiple homes in the same neighborhood facing shared environmental, social, or economic challenges. Sponsors like community groups, tribes, or utilities can apply for state funds to implement energy efficiency upgrades, structural repairs, and healthy housing improvements across entire neighborhoods - rather than just single homes. The department must prioritize proposals serving areas with environmental health disparities and low-income households (defined as 80% of median income), requiring data-driven community assessments. Projects must include energy audits and avoid charging households for weatherization services, while aligning with federal energy efficiency programs.

Maddy summaryHB 1570 grants collective bargaining rights to student employees (those enrolled in academic or certificate programs) at Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Western Washington University, and The Evergreen State College. It defines specific bargaining topics, including tuition remission and waivers, while excluding issues like academic calendars, tuition amounts, student admissions, and termination based on academic performance. Compensation agreements must align with legislative budget limits, though institutions may offer additional pay beyond these limits. The bill applies only to employees not already covered by other collective bargaining laws at these institutions.

Maddy summaryHB 2238 requires Washington's Department of Agriculture to develop a statewide food security strategy by December 2027, aimed at ending hunger, reducing diet-related health disparities, and strengthening agricultural supply chains. The strategy must define food security through three lenses - access, agricultural viability, and supply chain resilience - and establish metrics to track regulatory costs (like fuel and labor), food access gaps, and agricultural competitiveness. It mandates collaboration with state agencies, tribes, BIPOC communities, small farmers, and food policy organizations to identify policy barriers, coordinate disaster response, and address root causes of hunger. The bill expires July 1, 2028, and requires the department to report on agricultural regulatory competitiveness every four years starting in 2030.

Maddy summaryHB 2317 amends Washington State's early learning program licensing rules by adding "outdoor nature-based child care" as a defined program type, requiring such programs to operate in approved outdoor spaces for at least four hours daily and follow a nature-based curriculum. It expands the definition of "early learning" to explicitly include services like preschool, child care subsidies, parent education, and nature-based programs. The bill clarifies exemptions for certain providers, including seasonal camps, military-affiliated programs, and nature-based programs meeting specific criteria, removing them from full licensing requirements. These changes directly affect child care centers, family providers, and early learning programs operating under state oversight.

Maddy summaryHB 2309 eliminates unnecessary postgraduate degree requirements for most state jobs in Washington. It directly affects state job applicants and current employees by changing hiring standards to allow qualification through experience or other means, unless a degree is legally required for the job's essential functions. The bill amends state law to require that classification plans for state positions not mandate postgraduate degrees as the sole qualification method. This aims to broaden the pool of eligible candidates and align hiring with actual job needs rather than arbitrary educational requirements. The bill passed unanimously in the House during the 2026 legislative session.