WSNA in Olympia: 2021 Legislative Session Week 1

In this week’s update:

• Week 1 Recap
• WSNA’s 2021 Legislative Priorities
• Local Public Health Listening Session
• Senate Health Care Committee Hears from WSNA
• Upcoming Events: Advocacy Camp & Lobby Day

Week 1

The 2021 Regular Session of the Washington State Legislature convened on Jan. 11. Lawmakers were in Olympia on Monday to pass rules that will allow them to conduct their business remotely for the remainder of session. Hearings and meetings with legislators are taking place over Zoom and are being aired on TVW.

Both House and Senate leadership are prioritizing legislation that pertains to COVID response, economic recovery, racial justice, and climate change. Additionally, legislators will be charged with crafting and passing the 2021-23 biennial budget this session.

WSNA’s 2021 Legislative Priorities

The WSNA Legislative & Health Policy Council worked over the interim to develop a set of 2021 Legislative Priorities that address some of the biggest issues that the pandemic has laid bare. Budget and policy priorities include:

• School Nurse Funding
• Public Health Funding
• Nurse Educator Funding
• Health System Transparency
• Worker Protections & Workplace Safety
• Racial Equity & Justice

Local Public Health Listening Session

On Monday, WSNA held a listening session with our members in local health departments around the state to hear their thoughts on legislative proposals to redesign the state’s local public health system which currently consists of 35 local public health agencies serving Washington’s 39 counties. Governor request legislation introduced in both the Senate and the House would create a work group to develop a regionalized system of “Comprehensive Public Health Districts” to supersede the current structure.

WSNA members working in public health also discussed proposals to restructure local Boards of Health. These boards are often comprised of County Commissioners; proposals this session seek to expand all local Boards of Health to include an equal number of health professionals.

The Governor’s proposed redesign comes with a dedicated, long-term funding source to help address the current $400 million biennial gap in state and local public health funding – a covered lives tax, a small assessment on each individual health insurance plan.

We will provide more information on these proposals as they move through the process this session.

Senate Health Care Committee Hears from WSNA

On Friday, the Senate Health Care Committee held a work session on the impact of COVID-19 on health care service delivery. WSNA members Danielle O’Toole (ICU RN in Pierce County) and Paul Fuller (ICU RN in Chelan County) both presented on their experiences on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. WSNA Director of Public Affairs Jennifer Muhm joined the panel and discussed the many worker safety complaints that WSNA, along with UFCW21 and SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, have filed with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) within the State Department of Labor & Industries. Many of these complaints have resulted in hospitals around the state receiving citations of serious violations and fines.

Upcoming Events

Just like the legislative session, our Advocacy Camp and Lobby Day will be held virtually this year. Join us – your voice is more essential than ever.

January 25 Advocacy Camp
More information and registration links are here.

February 4 WSNA Lobby Day
More information and registration links are here.

This event is for WSNA members only.

Please look for regular email updates on legislative action as the legislative session gets underway – we look forward to your participation in the process!