WSNA in Olympia – Legislative Session Week 1
This was a busy week of hearings on policy bills and WSNA was well represented with several members providing testimony on key bills. As a reminder, all hearings and meetings with legislators are taking place over Zoom and are being aired on TVW.
January 14, 2022 • 2 minutes, 44 seconds to read
In this week’s update:
- Week 1 Recap
- Update on Safe Staffing Standards bills – TAKE ACTION
- Training Funds for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners
- School Nurse Funding
- ARNP Parity Bill – TAKE ACTION
Week 1
This was a busy week of hearings on policy bills and WSNA was well represented with several members providing testimony on key bills. As a reminder, all hearings and meetings with legislators are taking place over Zoom and are being aired on TVW. WSNA’s 2022 Legislative Priorities are available online.
Safe Staffing Standards
This week the Safe Staffing Standards bill was introduced in the house. The bill number is HB 1868. We were pleased that 44 bipartisan cosponsors signed on to the House bill prime sponsored by Rep. Marcus Riccelli (D-Spokane). Senator June Robinson (D-Everett) is the prime sponsor of the Senate companion bill, SB 5751. Fourteen senators signed on as co-sponsors to the bill.
TAKE ACTION: HB 1868 is scheduled for a hearing next week on Wednesday, Jan. 19 in the House Labor & Workplace Standards Committee. Due to the remote legislative session this year, individuals can sign-in remotely to support this bill. By signing in you are putting your support for the bill on the legislative record (not testifying).NOTE: When signing-in, please leave the “organization” blank; do not put the name of your employer or WSNA in this box. This is so that your employer and WSNA can enter their official organizational positions on the record without confusion.
Instructions for signing-in:
SIGN IN SUPPORT: You can begin doing this right away up until one hour before start of the hearing Wednesday, Jan, 19 (sign-in will close at 9 a.m. on Wednesday).
Start at this link
1. Choose position: Pro
2. Fill out the remaining identifying information, leaving “organization” blank (do not put the name of your employer or WSNA here)
3. Submit
Training Funds for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners
Two bills on Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners had hearings this week. On Monday, in the House College & Workforce Development Committee, WSNA Nurse Representative and SANE, Shawn Reed, testified in support of HB 1622. Later in the day Shawn testified again in House Health Care & Wellness on HB 1621. Both bills are sponsored by Representative Mosbrucker (R - Yakima). HB 1622 is designed to increase the availability of SANE education in rural and underserved areas through the creation of a program at Washington State University. HB 1621 establishes a stipend program to offset costs for nurses completing SANE training. On Thursday, the House College and Workforce Development Committee voted HB 1622 out of the committee. HB 1622 will now move to the House Appropriations Committee.
School Nurse Funding
On Wednesday, WSNA contract lobbyist Erica Hallock testified in favor of SB 5595 in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education committee. On Thursday SNOW President Liz Pray testified in House Education on HB 1664. Both bills would adjust the prototypical school formulas to provide increased funding for school nurses to support the physical, social, and emotional needs of students.
On Thursday, SNOW Legislative Chair Tessa McIraith and SNOW President Liz Pray spoke at a work session called "Examination and Responses to Public Health and Mental Health Crises in the Education System." For the House Education and Health Care & Wellness committees. Tessa and Liz spoke to the public health and mental health crises in the education system.
ARNP Reimbursement Parity Bill
This session, Senator Emily Randall (D – Kitsap) is sponsoring a bill, SB 5704 to provide ARNPs with reimbursement. This bill has a hearing on Jan. 17 in the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee. Due to the remote legislative session this year, individuals can sign-in remotely to support this bill. NOTE: When signing-in, please leave the “organization” blank; do not put the name of your employer or WSNA in this box. This is so that your employer and WSNA can enter their official organizational positions on the record without confusion.
Instructions for signing-in:
SIGN IN SUPPORT: You can begin doing this right away, ability ends 1 hour before start of the hearing Monday 1/17/2022 (by 12:30 PM).
Start at this link
1. Choose position: Pro
2. Fill out the remaining identifying information, leaving “organization” blank (do not put the name of your employer or WSNA here)
3. Submit
Please look for regular email updates on legislative action as the legislative session gets underway – we look forward to your participation in the process!