Ensuring Social Justice Ensure affordable and accessible health care for all. Issue Chair: Kim Abbey, kabbey@lwvwa.org, (206) 387-6134 |
Right Now in Health Care, Behavioral Health, and Reproductive RightsGeneral News This WeekDuring the week of March 8-13, 2021 the committee hearings in the opposite houses will continue in both the House and Senate. League of Women Voters advocacy in Health Care issues this week will be primarily emailing your own three legislators to support the following bills. Some bills need to be pulled from House and Senate Rules Committees by end of day on Tuesday, March 9, 2021. If your own legislator sits on a Rules Committee, contact them if you support these bills. Bills Needing Action This Week Take action this week: Passed by a vote on the House floor and is now in the Senate. Scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care on March 10, 2021 at 8:00 AM. You may sign up to give oral or written testimony.
Makes changes to the 2009 Death with Dignity Act, mainly changes ‘physician’ to ‘qualified medical provider’. Hospice care is increasingly provided by advanced registered nurse practitioners and physician assistants, especially in rural areas. Eliminates the 15-day waiting period and reduces it to 72 hours. A contract employer may not prevent a health care provider from participating in Death with Dignity Act of 2009 so long as they act independently and at a location that is not on the hospital facility premises. Take action this week: Passed on a House floor vote on February 25, 2021 and has had a first reading in the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee. Contact your own senator if they sit on that committee to request that a public hearing be scheduled. SB 5068 Improving maternal health outcomes by extending coverage during the postpartum period. Sponsor: Sen. Randall. Take action this week: Passed on a Senate floor vote on February 25, 2021. Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness on Mar 10, 2021 at 8:00 AM. You may sign up to give oral or written testimony. Scheduled for executive session in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness on Mar 11, 2021 at 10:00 AM. Contact your own representatives if they sit on that committee to request a yes vote.
Take action this week: Passed on a Senate floor vote on February 17, 2021 and has had a first reading in the House Health and Wellness Committee on February 24, 2021. Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness on Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 10:00 AM. You may sign up to give oral or written testimony. If your legislator sits on the House Committee on Health and Wellness, or is a sponsor, contact them to tell them you support this bill.
Allows the Health Care Authority (HCA) to enter into partnerships with other states, state agencies, or nonprofit entities to produce, distribute, or purchase generic prescription drugs. Take action this week: Passed out of the Senate Committee on Ways & Means and and passed on a floor vote in the Senate. This bill will now move to the House. SB 5377 Increasing affordability of standardized plans on the individual market. Sponsor: Sen. Frockt. Subsidies are an effective way to address affordability and can be implemented for next year's plan. The Health Care Authority needs more tools to control costs for public option plans. Take action this week: Passed on a Senate floor vote on March 3, 2021 and has had a first reading in the House Health and Wellness Committee. Contact your own representatives if they sit on that committee to request that a public hearing be scheduled. SB 5399 Concerning the creation of a universal health care commission. Sponsor: Sen. Randall and 16 co-sponsors. The universal health care commission is established to develop a plan to be implemented by 2026, that will provide comprehensive, equitable, and affordable health care coverage under a publicly financed and privately and publicly delivered health care system to all state residents. Take action this week: Passed on a Senate floor vote on March 2, 2021 and has had a first reading in the House Health and Wellness Committee on March 4, 2021. Contact your own representatives if they sit on that committee to request that a public hearing be scheduled. Other Bills We SupportClick to jump to sub-section: Health Care | Behavioral Health | Reproductive Rights Health CareHB 1152: Supporting measures to create comprehensive public health districts. Sponsor: Rep. Riccelli. Requested by the Office of the Governor. A work group is created to develop and recommend to the secretary a public health system to provide foundational public health services to all people in Washington through comprehensive public health districts and the department. Current: Passed out of the House Appropriations Committee and referred to House Rules Committee. If you have a legislator who sits on the House Rules email them to let them know you support this bill no later than Tuesday, March 9, 2021. If not pulled from the House Rules committee by then, this bill cannot move this year.
Current: Passed on a House floor vote on February 26, 2021 and has had a first reading in the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee on March 2, 2021. Contact your own senator if they sit on that committee to request that a public hearing be scheduled. HB 1272 Concerning health system transparency. Sponsor: Rep. Macri. Requires that hospitals provide detailed information regarding several identified categories of expenses and revenues in financial reports to the Department of Health. Current: Passed on a House floor vote on February 25, 2021 and has had a first reading in the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee on March 1, 2021. Contact your own senator if they sit on that committee to request that a public hearing be scheduled.
Current: Voted unanimously out the House Committee on Appropriations and is in House Rules. If you have a legislator who sits on House Rules, email them to let them know you support this bill no later than Tuesday, March 9, 2021. If not pulled from the House Rules committee by then, this bill cannot move this year. HB 1323 Concerning the long-term services and supports trust program. Sponsor: Rep. Tharinger. In May 2019 the Governor signed a law, creating the nation’s first Long Term Care Trust by Jan. 2021. This HB 1323 is necessary to define details for workers enrolled in the Long Term Care Trust and outlines the roles of the Health Care Authority, the DSHS, and the Employment Security Department who will collaborate to manage the program. Current: Passed on a House floor vote on February 23, 2021 and has had a first reading in the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee on February 25, 2021. Contact your own senator if they sit on that committee to request that a public hearing be scheduled. SB 5052 Concerning the creation of health equity zones. Sponsor: Sen. Keiser. The state intends to work with community leaders within the health equity zones to share information and coordinate efforts with the goal of addressing the most urgent needs. Current: Passed on a Senate floor vote on February 26, 2021 and has had a first reading in the House Health and Wellness Committee on March 2, 2021. Contact your own representatives if they sit on that committee to request that a public hearing be scheduled. Behavioral HealthHB 1074: Concerning overdose and suicide fatality reviews. Sponsor: Rep. Strom Peterson. A local health department may establish multidisciplinary overdose and suicide fatality review teams to review overdose or suicide deaths and to develop strategies for the prevention of overdose and suicide fatalities. Current: Passed by a vote on the House floor and is now in the Senate. Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Behavioral Health Subcommittee to Health & Long Term Care on Mar 12, 2021 at 10:30 AM. If your legislator sits on that committee, or is a sponsor, contact them to tell them know you support this bill. HB 1086: Creating the state office of behavioral health consumer advocacy. Sponsor: Rep. Simmons. By January 1, 2022, the department shall contract with a private nonprofit organization to provide the State Office of Behavioral Health Consumer Advocacy Services (SOBHCA). Current: Passed on a House floor vote on March 1, 2021 and has had a first reading in the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee on March 4, 2021. Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Behavioral Health Subcommittee to Health & Long Term Care on Mar 12, 2021 at 10:30 AM in anticipation of other legislative action. You may sign in to give oral or written testimony. HB1325 Implementing policies related to children and youth behavioral health. Sponsor: Rep. Callan. Establishes the Partnership Access Line (PAL) for Moms and the Mental Health Referral Service for Children and Teens as ongoing programs. Current: Passed on a House floor vote on February 26, 2021 and has had a first reading in the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee on March 2, 2021. Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Behavioral Health Subcommittee to Health & Long Term Care on Mar 12, 2021 at 10:30 AM in anticipation of other legislative action. You may sign in to give oral or written testimony.
Current: Passed out of the House Appropriations Committee and is now in House Rules. If you have a legislator who sits on the House Rules email them to let them know you support this bill no later than Tuesday, March 9, 2021. If not pulled from the House Rules committee by then, this bill cannot move this year. SB 5071: Creating transition teams to assist specified persons under civil commitment. Sponsor: Sen. Dhingra. This bill would require the court to specify the name of a behavioral health agency responsible for supervising the outpatient release of a person who has been civilly committed following a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity. |