In addition to our own legislative priorities, WSNA also tracks and weighs in on other bills that are introduced throughout the legislative session that may impact our members directly or the quality of patient care and access. Below are some of those bills that WSNA weighed in on either in support, opposition, or simply monitored for one reason or another. These bills are not presented in any particular order, nor is it the complete list of all bills we tracked this past session.
Concerning meal and rest breaks for hospital workers
SHB 1879 PASSED
This bill allows a hospital employer and employee to mutually agree to waive a meal or rest period and the timing of those periods, subject to certain conditions.
Concerning appropriate response to assaults by individuals in behavioral health crisis
HB 1220 DEAD
This bill would create an exception for assaults in the third degree on nurses, physicians, and other health care providers when that assault is carried out by someone detained or pending an evaluation for detention for behavioral health disorders; receiving or in the process of seeking voluntary inpatient psychiatric treatment; or detained for behavioral health treatment pursuant to the laws on criminal insanity. This exception would apply only to health care workers, not to any other occupational category included in RCW 9a.36.031 such as police officers, firefighters, or transit workers. HB 1220 is far too broad in its reach and would send a message devaluing the safety of nurses, physicians, and other healthcare workers. It would detract from efforts to enhance healthcare workplace safety.
WSNA had phenomenal engagement on this bill – more than 500 nurses engaged and emailed their representatives within 24 hours asking them to oppose this bill and why it was bad for nurses. This resounding engagement helped keep this bill from being heard and passed, but this is likely not the last we’ve heard of it. WSNA plans to engage with the bill’s prime sponsor over the interim to discuss the issue.
Allowing bargaining over matters related to the use of artificial intelligence
ESHB 1622 DEAD
Requires certain public employers to bargain over the decision to adopt, or modify current uses of, artificial intelligence technology if the adoption or modification affects employee wages or performance evaluations. It died in the Senate fiscal committee largely due to fiscal note.
Creating a homes for heroes program
SHB 1022 DEAD
Creates a down payment and closing cost assistance program for people who work in targeted professions (nurses, firefighters, etc.) and meet certain income requirements.
Providing coverage for biomarker testing
HB 1062 DEAD
Requires coverage for biomarker testing under certain circumstances.
Allowing collective bargaining over contributions for certain supplemental retirement benefits
HB 1069 / SB 5044 DEAD
Allows bargaining under the Personnel System Reform Act over contributions for supplemental retirement benefits, including medical plans, administered by, or on behalf of, an employee organization.
Raising awareness of pain control options for intrauterine device placement and removal
HB 1077 DEAD
Requires health care providers to notify patients seeking intrauterine device placement or removal of the types of pain control options available.
Concerning health plan coverage of fertility-related services
SHB 1129 / SSB 5121 DEAD
Requires large group health plans and health plans offered to public employees to cover standard fertility preservation services beginning January 1, 2026, and diagnosis and treatment for infertility beginning January 1, 2027. Requires Medicaid to cover standard fertility preservation services.
Prohibiting noncompetition agreements and clarifying non solicitation agreements
SHB 1155 / SB 5437 DEAD
Makes any noncompetition covenant void and unenforceable, regardless of when the parties entered into the covenant.
Expanding the situations in which medications can be dispensed or delivered from hospitals and health care entities
SHB 1186 PASSED
Authorizes hospitals and health care entities to dispense or distribute medications in additional circumstances.
Expanding protections for workers in the state paid family and medical leave program
E2SHB 1213 PASSED
Lowers the employer size threshold for employment protection rights in the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Program and provides an employee with protection if he or she began employment with a qualifying employer at least 180 calendar days before taking leave. Allows employers to prevent stacking of certain employment protection rights by extending employment protection in the PFML Program to periods of unpaid leave protected by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, so long as the employer provides certain notices to the employee, and providing that employment protection expires after certain periods. Expands health care coverage protection during any period in which an employee receives PFML Program benefits and is also entitled to employment protection. Expands access to grants for small employers to offset the costs of employees' use of leave in the PFML Program.
Concerning access to personnel records
SHB 1308 PASSED
Requires a private employer to provide an employee or former employee with a copy of the employee's personnel file within 21 days of a request, and requires a public employer to do so in accordance with the requirements and procedures of the Public Records Act. Requires a private employer to provide to a former employee, upon request, a statement of the employee's discharge date and reasons, if any, for the discharge. Creates a private cause of action with statutory damages for enforcing the requirements for private employers to disclose personnel files and provide written discharge statements.
Preserving the ability of public officials to address communicable diseases
ESHB 1531 PASSED
Requires public health responses to communicable diseases to be guided by the best available science.
Concerning the licensure of health care administrators
HB 1567 DEAD
Establishes licensing requirements for health care administrators who are: (1) nonclinical hospital managers with direct supervisory authority over clinical health care providers; and (2) nonclinical hospital directors, officers, and executives with supervisory authority for those nonclinical hospital managers who have direct supervisory authority over clinical health care providers. Establishes acts of unprofessional conduct specific to licensed health care administrators related to supervision and fiscal and operational decision making.
Creating a health care entity registry
E2SHB 1686 PASSED
Requires the Department of Health, in consultation with others, to develop a plan and provide recommendations to the Legislature on how to create a complete and interactive registry of the health care landscape in Washington.
Concerning labor standards
HB 1764 / SB 5578 DEAD
Increases the minimum wage for employees beginning January 1, 2026. Requires employers and transportation network companies (TNCs) to provide paid vacation leave to employees or drivers at a rate of 2.3 hours of paid vacation leave for every 40 hours worked. Entitles an employee to at least five days of paid bereavement leave per calendar year if an employee's family member dies. Allows the Department of Labor and Industries to issue a stop work order to cease all business operations where the violation occurred and require the employer or TNC to pay workers normal compensation for regularly scheduled hours, if an employer or TNC violates this act.
Concerning county property tax levels for public health clinic purposes
HB 1870 / SB 5709 DEAD
Allows counties to levy a property tax of up to 5 cents per $1,000 of assessed value for public health clinics.
Regulating tobacco and nicotine products
HB 2068 / SB 5803 DEAD
Prohibits the sale, display, marketing, or advertising of any flavored tobacco or nicotine product or entertainment vapor product. Requires signage regarding the new prohibitions, a prevention and awareness campaign by the Department of Health, and provides for tribal consultation. Increases license fees and administrative penalties for cigarette, tobacco product, and vapor product licensees. Makes it a gross misdemeanor to sell or give an alternative nicotine product to a person under age 21, defines alternative nicotine products, and re-defines tobacco product. Makes it unlawful to sell, give, deliver, or furnish to a person a product that contains a nicotine analogue, and defines nicotine analogue. Adds an additional cigarette tax of $2 per pack of cigarettes, to be adjusted every three years for inflation. Adjusts the tax on vapor products, tobacco products, and alternative nicotine products to be 95 percent of the taxable sales price. Makes additional changes to tobacco and vapor product laws.
Concerning health care coordination regarding confined individuals
SSB 5031 DEAD
Creates a health care coordination council within the Department of Health, to improve communication and coordination between health care programs for those in confinement settings.
Allowing collective bargaining over contributions for certain supplemental retirement benefits
SB 5044 / HB 1069 DEAD
Requires bargaining under the Personnel System Reform Act over contributions for supplemental retirement benefits, including medical plans, administered by, or on behalf of, an employee organization.
Expanding access to leave and safety accommodations to include workers who are victims of hate crimes or bias incidents
SSB 5101 PASSED
Expands the protections of the Domestic Violence Leave Act to employees who are, or whose family members are, victims of hate crimes.
Prohibiting the sale of certain tobacco and nicotine products
SB 5183 / HB 1203 DEAD
Prohibits the sale, display, and advertisement of any flavored tobacco, nicotine, or vapor product and any entertainment vapor product. Requires a prevention and awareness campaign, requires signage, imposes penalties, specifies enforcement provisions, applies the Consumer Protection Act, and authorizes tribal consultations.
Expanding pregnancy-related accommodations
E2SSB 5217 PASSED
Modifies the definition of employer for purposes of pregnancy and pregnancy-related accommodation. Requires an employer to pay an employee for break and travel time to express milk during work at the employee's regular compensation rate, in addition to meal and rest periods. Transfers investigative and enforcement authority for complaints of failure to provide pregnancy-related accommodations to the Department of Labor and Industries. Allows a person with an infant under 12 months old to request a delay or excusal from jury service if the person is unable to serve due to having an infant under 12 months old.
Concerning emissions of greenhouse gases used for anesthetic purposes
SSB 5236 DEAD
Directs the Department of Ecology (Ecology) to commission a study, to be completed by July 1, 2026, relating to the use of certain gases used for anesthetic purposes—anesthetic gases. Requires Ecology, in consultation with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), to report to the Legislature on statutory changes necessary to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from using anesthetic gases by January 1, 2027. Requires Ecology, in consultation with DOH and other specified organizations, to develop and publish a guidance document intended to reduce GHG emissions from using anesthetic gases in certain medical settings by April 1, 2027. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2028, facilities and practitioners in certain medical settings may only use anesthetic gases consistent with the guidance document, with certain exceptions.
Concerning the corporate practice of health care
2SSB 5387 / HB 1675 DEAD
Prohibits the corporate practice of health care except through a professional service corporation or limited liability company. Prohibits individuals not licensed to practice a health care profession from interfering with the clinical decision-making of health care providers providing care at licensed facilities.
Concerning employment loss due to businesses closing or mass layoffs
ESSB 5525 PASSED
Requires, with some exceptions, employers with 50 or more employees to provide 60 days' notice to their employees prior to a business closing or mass layoff.
Codifying emergency rules to protect the right of a pregnant person to access treatment for emergency medical conditions in hospital emergency departments
ESSB 5557 PASSED
Requires hospitals, when providing emergency services, to provide treatment to a pregnant person who comes to the hospital with an emergency medical condition that is consistent with the applicable standard of care for such condition or, if authorized, to transfer the patient to another hospital capable of providing the treatment, with the patient's informed consent.
Reducing environmental and health disparities and improving the health of Washington state residents in large port districts
SB 5652 / HB 1948 DEAD
Requires a qualifying port district to include an environmental justice implementation plan within its strategic plan. Specifies that a qualifying port district must create and adopt a community engagement plan. Specifies certain actions a qualifying port district must take to assess and mitigate environmental impacts of significant port actions.
Concerning Universal Health Care
SJM 8004 PASSED
Requests the federal government to create a universal health care program, partner with Washington to implement a single-payer health care system or remove federal restrictions on Washington's ability to create a universal health care system.
