Dear Friends,
Welcome to the ninth and final week of the 2020 legislative session! Last week started with fiscal cutoff on Monday where all bills had to pass out of the fiscal committee in their opposite house or they would be considered dead unless deemed necessary to implement the budget. There were 482 bills that were alive following Monday’s cutoff. Following fiscal cutoff, attention quickly shifted to floor action where both chambers were on the floor every day Tuesday through Friday last week, some days going late into the night, in order to pass bills by opposite house floor cutoff on Friday, March 6th. They have until this Thursday, March 12th to resolve differences on a bill if it was amended in the opposite house. For a reminder about how the process works, click here to learn about concurrence, dispute, and conference.
Budget negotiations have also been happening in earnest behind the scenes. Negotiators have been working on the operating, capital, and transportation supplemental budgets. The budgets are expected to be unveiled soon in order for final versions to be agreed upon and passed by both chambers before session adjourns March 12th. The Prevention Alliance has produced a memo on the operating budget comparing the House and Senate proposals. This memo provides helpful context on the budget as we anticipate release of the final budget.
Through all of the legislative activity of the last week, the legislature has been very focused on the increasing number of cases and deaths from COVID-19 in our state. Monday, March 2nd, the Senate Ways & Means Committee opened their hearing with a COVID-19 work session. Washington State Department of Health Secretary John Wiesman and Washington State Association of Local Public Health Officials (WSALPHO) Managing Director Jaime Bodden presented before the committee and answered questions.
Representatives Cody (D-34th) and Schmick (R-9th) introduced House Bill 2965 - Concerning the state's response to the novel coronavirus, which would make emergency appropriations from the budget stabilization account to the disaster response account solely for state and local government response to the novel coronavirus. The bipartisan legislation passed off the floor in both chambers. It was amended in the Senate so will need to go back to the House for concurrence. The bill appropriates $100 million from the state’s rainy day fund for coronavirus response and provides authorization to appropriate $25 million in federal funds if received by the state.
Thursday, March 5th, Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued an emergency order to Washington state health insurers requiring them to waive copays and deductibles for any consumer requiring testing (www.doh.wa.gov) for coronavirus (COVID-19). Insurers also must allow a one-time early refill for prescription drugs and suspend any prior authorization requirement for treatment or testing of COVID-19.
In addition, if an insurer does not have enough medical providers in its network to provide testing and treatment for COVID-19, it must allow enrollees to be treated by another provider within a reasonable distance at no additional cost.
The Governor’s Office compiled a list of resources to support employers and workers who have work or economic problems related to COVID-19. This includes information on possible paid leave options, employers experiencing work stoppages, and more.
Also related to workers, Governor Inslee announced that workers’ compensation coverage will include quarantined health workers and first responders.
President Trump signed an $8.3 billion measure that was passed by the United States House Wednesday and the Senate Thursday to help tackle the coronavirus outbreak. According to U.S. Representative Suzan DelBene, D-1st Congressional District, Washington State will receive $11.5 million of the appropriation. King County is spending $100,000 per day on the outbreak. The legislation provides federal public-health agencies with money for vaccines, tests and potential treatments and helps state and local governments prepare for and respond to the threat.
On Sunday, Governor Inslee announced that Washington officials are considering mandatory measures for social distancing as part of the state's effort to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus. Inslee’s office stated that no final decisions are being made today (Sunday), just discussions about things like reducing the number of social activities that are going on.
As of Sunday afternoon, the Washington State Department of Health reports 123 cases of COVID-19. This number includes 18 deaths. The numbers are likely an underrepresentation of actual cases because the state just began testing for COVID-19 and most people who have the disease experience mild symptoms. For additional COVID-19 resources visit Washington State Department of Health or Public Health Seattle & King County.
We will continue to keep you updated with future status updates. If you have bill or policy questions, please feel free to direct them to Julie Peterson at juliep@healthygen.org or my Twitter handle, @HealthyGenJulie.
In the meantime, keep calm and wash your hands!
Ever forward,
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Prevention Alliance member WSMA's Alex Wehinger confers with boss Sean Graham while waiting for the Senate to convene.
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Prevention Alliance member Laurie Lippold, Director of Public Policy at Partners for our Children, works “in her office” when the legislature is on the floor.
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Prevention Alliance member Devon Connor-Green keeps a keen eye on House action on behalf of the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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Please note, this status is as of Saturday, March 7th. Please check www.leg.wa.gov for further status updates.
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Clinical & Community Linkages
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“Concerning the state's response to the novel coronavirus.”
HB 2965
Sponsor: Cody
Status: Senate passed 3rd
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Creating the state office of the behavioral health ombuds”
HB 2386
Sponsor: Cody
Status: Senate Rules 2
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Establishing a work group on school-based health centers”
HB 2708
Sponsor: Stonier
Status: House Education
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
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“Concerning possession of vapor, vapor products, tobacco, and tobacco products by persons under the age of twenty-one”
SB 6489
Sponsor: Saldana
Status: Senate Rules X
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Protecting public health and safety by enhancing the regulation of vapor products”
HB 2454 & SB 6254
Sponsor: Pollett
Sponsor: Kuderer
Status: House Health Care & Senate Rules 2
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Expanding adolescent behavioral health care access.”
HB 2883 & SB 6634
Sponsor: Eslick
Sponsor: Warnik
Status: Senate Rules 2 & Senate Behavioral Health
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
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Social & Economic Conditions
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“Expanding access to nutritious food”
HB 2262 & SB 6309
Sponsor: Leavitt
Sponsor: Lovlett
Status: House Human Services & Speaker signed
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Requiring default beverages for children's meals”
HB 2383 & SB 6455
Sponsor: Stonier
Sponsor: Liias
Status: House Rules C & House passed
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Requiring comprehensive sexual health education with an affirmative consent curriculum in all public schools by the 2022-23 school year in accordance with the recommendations of the sexual health education work group”
HB 2184 & SB 5395
Sponsor: Stonier
Sponsor: Wilson
Status: House Appropriations & House Rules Review
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Communicating mass violence threats.”
SB 6307
Sponsor: Liias
Status: Senate Rules X
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Concerning high capacity magazines”
HB 2240 & SB 6077
Sponsor: Valdez
Sponsor: Kuderer
Status: House Rules C & Senate Rules X
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Concerning assault weapons and large capacity magazines”
HB 2241 & SB 6076
Sponsor: Peterson
Sponsor: Kuderer
Status: House Civil Rights & Judiciary & Senate Law & Justice
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Concerning unlawful possession of firearms for persons free on bond or personal recognizance pending trial, appeal, or sentencing for felony charges under RCW 46.61.502(6) and 46.61.504(6)”
SB 6163
Sponsor: Dhingra
Status: Senate Rules X
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Creating the Washington office of firearm violence prevention”
SB 6288
Sponsor: Dhingra
Status: House Passed
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Concerning concealed pistol license training requirements”
HB 1315 & SB 6294
Sponsor: Lovick
Sponsor: Salomon
Status: House Rules R & Senate Rules X
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Relating to local government authority to regulate firearms”
HB 1374
Sponsor: Macri
Status: House Civil Rights & Judiciary
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Concerning reasonable public safety measures to prevent dangerous individuals from acquiring ammunition”
HB 2519
Sponsor: Walen
Status: House Civil Rights & Judiciary
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Establishing the family connections program”
HB 2525 & SB 6422
Sponsor: Callen
Sponsor: Darneille
Status: Senate Ways & Means & House speaker signed
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Expanding accessible, affordable child care and early childhood development programs”
HB 2661
Sponsor: Senn
Status: House Appropriations
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Creating a comprehensive statewide early care and education system by improving accessibility and affordability of early care and education programs for families.”
SB 6253
Sponsor: Wilson
Status: Senate Ways & Means
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Increasing access to medications for opioid use disorder”
HB 2335 & SB 6086
Sponsor: Davis
Sponsor: Hasegawa
Status: House passed C & Senate Rules R
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Concerning establishment of the prescription opioid impact account”
HB 2438
Sponsor: Kilduff
Status: House Rules C
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
‘Concerning tableting and encapsulating machines and controlled substance imitation materials.”
HB 2375 & SB 6159
Sponsor: Leavitt
Sponsor: Dhingra
Status: House Second Reading & Senate Law & Justice
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
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“Supporting relationships between parents and their children.”
HB 2733
Sponsor: Davis
Status: House Human Services
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Creating pathways to recovery from addiction by eliminating a tax preference for the warehousing of opioids and other drugs.”
HB 2734
Sponsor: Davis
Status: House Finance
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Reimbursing contingency management programs.”
HB 2336
Sponsor: Davis
Status: House Health Care
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Concerning the preferred drug list status of medication-assisted treatment options.”
HB 2418
Sponsor: Davis
Status: House Health Care
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Removing health coverage barriers to accessing substance use disorder treatment services.”
HB 2642
Sponsor: Davis
Status: Senate passed 3rd
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Property tax exemption for nonprofit organizations providing rental housing or mobile home park spaces to qualifying households.”
HB 2384 & SB 6232
Sponsor: Doglio
Sponsor: Kuderer
Status: Senate Ways & Means & Senate passed 3rd
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Standardizing definitions of homelessness to improve access to services.”
HB 2388 & SB 6472
Sponsor: Senn
Sponsor: Lovelett
Status: Senate Ways & Means & Senate Ways & Means
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Reducing the real estate excise tax for multiple-unit housing.’
HB 2452
Sponsor: Barkis
Status: House Finance
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Protections to residential tenants.”
HB 2453 & SB 6379
Sponsor: Macri
Sponsor: Kuderer
Status: House Second Reading & Senate Housing Stability
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Counties, cities, and towns to exceed statutory property tax limitations for the purpose of financing affordable housing for very low-income households.”
HB 2489 & SB 6212
Sponsor: Ryu
Sponsor: Das
Status: House Finance & House Finance
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Expenditures from the budget stabilization account to alleviate the issues of homelessness.”
HB 2522 & SB 6167
Sponsor: Ormsby
Sponsor: Rolfes
Status: House Appropriations & Senate Ways & Means
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Expanding the property tax exemption for new and rehabilitated multiple-unit dwellings in urban growth areas.”
HB 2620 & SB 6411
Sponsor: Walen
Sponsor: Das
Status: House Rules C & Senate Rules X
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Exempting services essential to affordable housing from the B&O surcharge.”
SB 6107
Sponsor: O’Ban
Status: Senate Ways & Means
Healthy Gen’s position: Monitoring
"Allowing the local sales and use tax for affordable housing to be imposed by a councilmanic authority.”
SB 6126
Sponsor: Senator Hunt
Status: Senate Rules X
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Homelessness diversion services.”
SB 6186
Sponsor: Zeiger
Status: Senate Housing
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
"Creating a homelessness impact grant program to address security and sanitation impacts of homeless populations."
SB 6196
Sponsor: Braun
Status: Senate Housing
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
“Reducing real estate excise tax rate for multiple-unit housing.”
SB 6201
Sponsor: Braun
Status: Senate Housing
Healthy Gen’s position: Support
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“Including health in the state transportation system policy goals”
HB 2461 & SB 6452
Sponsor: Riccelli
Sponsor: Billing
Status: Senate Transportation & Senate Transportation
Healthy Gen's position: Support
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