Sen. Annette Cleveland

Maddy summarySB 5058 aims to increase Washington's recycling rate for packaging to 65% by implementing specific strategies within the state's current waste management system. It requires a statewide list of accepted recyclable materials to reduce confusion and contamination, mandates a needs assessment to identify necessary investments, and expands requirements for manufacturers to use postconsumer recycled content in packaging and paper products. The bill directly affects residents (through standardized curbside recycling services), manufacturers (via new recycled content rules), and local governments (which retain authority over collection systems). It maintains existing public-private partnerships and does not alter local government roles in managing recycling services.

Maddy summarySB 5561 creates a public registry requiring most health care entities in Washington State to annually report detailed ownership, operational, and financial information to the Department of Health starting June 2027. Health care providers, facilities, organizations, and their owners (including private equity funds and management services organizations) must submit data on business addresses, ownership structures, board members, and financials - exempting small groups of two or fewer providers or entities covered under a parent entity’s report. The Department of Health will develop a public online tool by January 2028 to display this information, making it accessible for transparency while keeping individual Social Security numbers confidential. This registry aims to increase visibility into health care ownership and operations without imposing new fees on reporting entities.

Maddy summarySB 5353 requires Washington health insurance plans to cover obesity treatment as a chronic condition starting January 1, 2026. It mandates coverage for three specific treatments: intensive behavioral/lifestyle programs, metabolic/bariatric surgery, and FDA-approved obesity medications. The bill prohibits insurers from imposing stricter coverage rules for obesity than for other medical conditions, ensuring equal treatment for deductibles, copays, and annual limits. This directly affects health insurers and people diagnosed with obesity in Washington state. The law aligns with FDA-approved treatments and clinical guidelines, defining covered services to prevent discriminatory coverage practices.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow Washington counties to impose a local tax on utility companies (like water, electricity, and gas providers) based on their gross income from services within the county. Counties could set a tax rate up to 3%, which utilities would add to customer bills and clearly label. The tax would apply to businesses (e.g., factories, data centers) but not residential customers unless businesses also get exemptions. Counties must follow specific rules for when to start the tax and cannot create general residential exemptions. This is a proposed revenue tool for local governments, not yet law.

Maddy summarySB 5448 exempts dialysis services provided within skilled nursing facilities from Washington State's certificate of need (CON) requirements. This directly affects dialysis providers operating inside skilled nursing facilities, removing a state approval barrier for these services. The bill allows such facilities to offer dialysis without needing prior state permission, provided they meet specific criteria like geographic accessibility and serving a majority of enrolled patients from a qualifying health plan. Facilities must apply for exemption with the state department, which must review applications within 30 days. This change streamlines access to dialysis care for residents in skilled nursing settings without altering broader CON rules.

Maddy summarySB 5344 establishes a state-funded program to provide nursing home workers in Washington with affordable, high-quality health care benefits through participating nursing home employers. The bill allocates supplemental funding to nursing home operators who commit to offering health care via "qualified health funds" (multi-employer plans), distributing funds based on Medicaid bed days and requiring employers to maintain or increase health care spending. Employers must use all funds to improve employee health benefits, provide transparency on spending, and avoid replacing existing health coverage. The program directly affects nursing home workers - primarily older women, women of color, and immigrants - who provide direct care, with eligibility covering all permanent employees in participating facilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires taverns, nightclubs, hotels, and sports entertainment venues to offer drug testing devices for sale to customers in designated areas (excluding drink preparation zones). Businesses must ensure devices are within their expiration date, display clear signage about availability, and may charge only the wholesale cost (or offer them free). The law explicitly states venues are not liable for inaccurate test results, such as false positives or negatives. It applies to all licensees under Washington’s Liquor and Cannabis Board, effective January 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 5672 delays the certification requirements for home care aides in Washington State. It requires the Department of Health to adopt rules allowing workers additional time to become certified while the state auditor completes a biennial performance audit of training standards. This temporary delay applies until 90 days after the 2026 audit report is published, and the bill expires December 31, 2027. The law affects all long-term care workers hired after January 2012 who need home care aide certification, with the delay specifically tied to the audit timeline rather than emergencies. The bill became effective immediately upon the governor's signature on May 17, 2025.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 5093 aims to ensure dignity for individuals experiencing pregnancy loss in Washington state. It amends existing law to remove specific mentions of abortion, premature birth, and stillbirth from the circumstances that automatically trigger a coroner's investigation, thereby reducing the potential for criminalization of pregnancy outcomes. The bill also repeals the "Concealing birth" statute. Additionally, it establishes a new requirement for correctional institutions and private detention facilities to annually report the aggregate number of people experiencing miscarriage, stillbirth, or perinatal loss while confined, with the Department of Health compiling a statewide report for the legislature.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates and modernizes the Washington state health plan by revising the duties of the Office of Financial Management (OFM) regarding health planning. It designates OFM as the coordinating body for strategic health planning and expands its access to various health care data sources, such as the all-payer claims database, to inform its efforts. OFM is now required to develop a statewide health resources strategy, in coordination with stakeholders, to establish policies and goals for health care facility and service availability, quality, and cost by geographic region. The bill also updates definitions for various health facilities, including changing "psychiatric hospitals" to "behavioral health hospitals."