Week 5 in Olympia: Action Alert to sign in support for nurse title protection and more

It was a whirlwind week in the Washington State Legislature, as fiscal committees heard testimony and voted on bills ahead of the February 9 deadline for measures to advance out of those committees. That cutoff marked a critical juncture in the session, further narrowing down the number of bills that can continue moving forward this session. With that milestone now behind them, both chambers are pivoting to the next phase: extended caucus meetings, lengthy floor sessions, and strategic negotiations as lawmakers work toward the February 17 deadline for bills to pass out of their house of origin in order to remain viable.

Monday, February 16 will play another key role in the state’s budget process, as the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council convenes to review the next revenue forecast. Budget writers in both chambers rely on this forecast as they refine spending plans, make adjustments to account for economic trends, and ensure proposed spending aligns with projected revenues. Operating budgets are expected to be released and heard during the week of February 22, with the Transportation and Capital budgets typically following shortly thereafter.

On Wednesday, February 11 HB 2155 passed off the House floor by a vote of 87-8. The bill now moves to the Senate, where it will repeat the committee process in the opposite chamber.

ACTION ALERT: We need your help! SB 5904 has been scheduled for a hearing in the House Healthcare & Wellness committee on Friday, February 20 at 8:00am. Please click the red box below and select “PRO” under the dropdown menu and leave “organization” blank no later than 2/20 at 7:00am. 

Next steps: HB 2155 now moves to the Senate, and is anticipated to receive a hearing in the Senate Health & Long Term Care committee in the coming days. SB 5904 is now in the House where it is scheduled to receive a hearing in the House Health Care & Wellness committee this coming Friday, February 20. Please see the action alert above.

HB 2360 was voted off the House floor by a majority vote on Thursday, February 12.  Bill sponsor Rep. Donaghy spoke to the bill’s goal of expanding access to albuterol for kids in K-12 settings experiencing respiratory distress while ensuring local school districts maintain the choice to stock the drug.

Next steps: HB 2360 has officially moved over to the Senate and been scheduled for a vote in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education on February 18 at 10:30am. SSB 5951 remains in the Senate Rules committees, awaiting a pull to the Senate floor for a vote prior to the February 17 cutoff.

The expiration of federal enhanced premium tax credits (ePTCs) for health insurance coverage at the Federal level continues to add pressure to the state budget. These changes have ushered in cost increases for many Americans who rely on the individual market to purchase health coverage. The Washington Health Benefits Exchange reports that  28,000 Washingtonians have already dropped their health coverage. This number is expected increase in the coming months, especially as Americans increasingly report anxiety about health care affordability.

The Legislature is considering several pieces of policy aimed at creating new revenue to address access to health care. Here are just a few:

• HB 2073: Assessment on excess surplus held by health insurers to support subsidies for Cascade Care enrollees up to 250% of the federal poverty level.
• HB 2626: Premium assessment on health insurers estimated to bring in $114 million in revenue in FY27 and beyond.
• HB 2720: Increasing access and resources for behavioral health emergency services providers by imposing a covered lives assessment on specific health plans.
• SB 6173: Creates an assessment on companies with large volumes of employees enrolled in Medicaid and directs the funds to the health care affordability account .

While these proposals address some of the need, significant funding gaps remain. Additionally, these proposals do not address the underlying state budget deficit that existed prior to federal changes to ACA subsidies.  As such, budget writers continue to push for additional revenue, including the Millionaire’s Tax (SB 6346) which advanced out of the Senate Committee on Ways & Means on Monday, February 9 after a highly contentious hearing.

The next state revenue forecast will be released on February 16 and will dictate just how much revenue is needed to support state programs, as well as the scale of cuts that may be required to balance the state budget. The WSNA Government Affairs team continues to monitor the budget and revenue environment and will provide additional information as it becomes available next week.

HB 2471 has moved from the Rules committee to the House floor calendar, where it awaits a vote by the full House of Representatives. On February 9, SB 6117 was voted out of the Senate Committee on Ways & Means and now moves to the Senate Rules committee.

Next steps: HB 2471 awaits a House floor vote. SB 6117 awaits a vote out of the Senate Rules committee and then a vote of the full Senate.

The legislature considers hundreds of bills outside our own legislative priorities. Here is a list of bills we’re watching as they move through the legislative process that may impact members. We will continue adding bills to this list as we move through the legislative session. You may click on any of the links below to learn more about each bill and where it is at in the legislative process.

• SB 6346 - Establishing a tax on millionaires.
• SSB 6284 - Providing consumer protections for artificial intelligence systems.
• HB 2073 - Funding health insurance premium assistance.
• HB 2683 - Promoting transparency and efficiency in health carrier relations with health care providers and facilities.
• HB 2498 - Concerning nursing education program standards.
• SB 6134 - Concerning notice to striking workers applying for unemployment insurance benefits of potential overpayment assessment upon receipt of retroactive wages. 
• SB 6115 – Concerning comprehensive cancer education programs.
• HB 1812 - Concerning patient-centered equitable access to anesthesia services and reimbursement.
• HB 2250 - Concerning residency requirements for charity care.
• HB 2577 - Concerning hospital inspections.
• SB 5947 - Establishing the Washington health care board.
• SJR 8206 - Amending the Constitution to establish a right to affordable health care.
• SB 5823 - Concerning patient advocates.
• SB 6292 - Establishing a joint legislative executive committee on health care financing.
• HB 2382 - Concerning excise taxes on cigarettes, vapor products, and tobacco products.
• HB 2289 /SB 5998 - Making 2025-2027 fiscal biennium supplemental operating appropriations.
• HB 2264 - Concerning unemployment insurance benefits for workers separated from employment because of employer-initiated layoffs or workforce reductions.
• HB 2110 - Concerning personnel for ambulance service interfacility specialty care transports.
• HB 2113 - Concerning the supervision of diagnostic radiologic technologists, therapeutic radiologic technologists, and magnetic resonance imaging technologists.
• HB 2122 - Requiring hospitals to offer immunizations for influenza in certain cases.
• HB 2152 - Permitting the medical use of cannabis by qualifying patients in specified health care facilities.
• HB 2144 - Requiring notices to employees when electronic monitoring is used to assist employers conducting performance evaluations.
• HB 2303 - Prohibiting employers from microchipping employees.
• HB 2345 - Concerning contributions in the state paid family and medical leave program.
• HB 2157 - Regulating high-risk artificial intelligence system development, deployment, and use.
• HB 2225 - Concerning regulation of artificial intelligence companion chatbots.
• SB 5956 - Addressing artificial intelligence, student discipline, and surveillance in public schools.
• HB 2106 - Requiring carriers to provide substantive notice to health care providers and health care facilities about significant contract modifications.
• HB 2329 - Concerning midwife supervision of medical assistants and lactation consultants.
• HB 2339 - Concerning the regulation of nursing.
• HB 2148 - Creating the pay it forward program.
• SB 5967 / HB 2242 - Preserving access to preventive services by clarifying state authority and definitions.
• SB 5826 - Concerning access at public postsecondary educational institutions to medication abortion.
• SB 5904 / HB 2155 - Concerning the use of nursing titles.
• SB 6025 - Updating the definition of fetal death.
• SB 5981 / HB 2145 - Protecting patient access to discounted medications and health care services through Washington's health care safety net by preventing manufacturer limitations on the 340B drug pricing program.
• SB 5990 - Expanding the qualifications of those who may serve as a local health officer in rural counties.
• HB 1496 - Strengthening patients' rights regarding their health care information.
• HB 2182 - Improving access to abortion medications.
• HB 2196 - Expanding access to PANDA PANS treatment.
• HB 2105 - Concerning immigrant worker protections.
• SB 6117 - Concerning collective bargaining for employees not covered by the national labor relations act.
• HB 2360 / SB 5951 – Expanding access to albuterol in public and private schools.
• SB 5923 - Concerning critical access hospital designations in Skagit county.
• SB 5845 - Modernizing and clarifying timely payment requirements for health carriers.
• SB 6071 - Standardizing overpayment recovery requirements.
• SB 5852 - Concerning immigrant worker protections.
• HB 2372 / SB 6067 - Concerning workers' compensation benefits.
• HB 2439 - Enhancing public health by modifying cigarette, vapor product, and tobacco product policy.
• SB 5984 - Concerning regulation of artificial intelligence companion chatbots.
• HB 1828 - Authorizing certain health professions to act as physician substitutes for plasma source donation centers.
• SB 6031 - Enhancing public safety and enforcement of crimes that impact insurance.
• HB 2548 - Strengthening health care market standards.
• SB 5652 - Reducing environmental and health disparities and improving the health of Washington state residents in large port districts.
• SB 5917 - Improving access to abortion medications.
• HB 2471 - Concerning collective bargaining for employees not covered by the national labor relations act.
• HB 2261 - Ensuring transparency in credentials and communications between patients and health care professionals.
• SB 6107/HB 2425 - Concerning nursing delegation.
• HB 2098 - Adjusting higher education funding.
• SB 5985 - Concerning endometriosis.
• SB 5993 - Prohibiting interest charges for new and unpaid medical debt.
• HB 2100 - Enacting an excise tax on large operating companies on the amount of payroll expenses above the minimum wage threshold of the additional medicare tax to fund services to benefit Washingtonians and establishing the Well Washington fund account.
• HB 2198 - Improving regulatory efficiency by integrating executive order 25-03, concerning permitting and licensing processes, into chapter 43.42A RCW.

Interested in learning more about the legislative process? See below for resources.

• How does a bill become a law? Find out here.
• How do I read a bill? Click here to learn.
• To view the Washington State Labor Council’s 2026 Legislative Priorities: click here.

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding the Department of Education’s proposal to exclude nursing graduate programs from being considered a “professional degree” was filed on Friday, January 30. This started the 30-day comment period. Comments will be due on March 2.

ANA’s policy team is currently working on developing draft comments (similar to a template) aimed to help support those who wish to advocate and submit comments on this proposal. In the meantime, please see ANA’s RN Action Education page for background on the issue as well as a link to submit comments on your own should you want to do so before the draft (template) comments are available.

Please stay tuned for more information and an Action Alert next week on this issue. WSNA is also in communication with partners at AFT and will be sure to share information as available from our national labor partner.

• February 17 – Floor Cutoff
• February 25 – Policy Committee Cutoff (Opposite House)
• March 2 – Fiscal Committee Cutoff (Opposite House)
• March 6 – Floor Cutoff
• March 12 – Sine Die (last day of session)
• May 4 – First day to file a declaration of candidacy (to run for elected office)
• May 6 – School Nurse Day
• May 8 – Last day to file a declaration of candidacy
• May 16 – WSLC COPE convention
• August 4 – Primary election in Washington State
• September 15 – National Voter Registration Day
• November 3 – General election in Washington State