WSNA in Olympia — 2025 Legislative Session

Washington’s 105-day session started on Monday. Much of the week was spent with formality as many elected officials were sworn into office, including our state’s newly elected Governor Bob Ferguson. We are looking at a lot of changes and movement in the State Legislature as Governor Ferguson fills his cabinet positions.

Washington faces its most significant budgetary challenge in over a decade, with a projected $12-$14 billion deficit through June 2029. The 2025 legislative session will test Washington’s Democratic leaders as they navigate this fiscal challenge while pursuing progressive majority goals.

We started off the first week with a strong start as one of our priorities addressing workplace violence (HB 1162) was up for a public hearing in the House Labor Committee. Read more about the public hearing and how WSNA’s legislative priorities are faring below.

HB 1162 had a public hearing in the House Labor & Workplace Standards committee on Wednesday, January 15. Because of your advocacy and responding to our action alert, we had a strong showing of public support with 336 individuals and organizations supporting the bill compared to 2 individuals with concerns.

WSNA’s Maurya Robinson (Providence Sacred Heart in Spokane) and Lindsey Kirsch (Seattle Children’s) testified before the committee. Maurya told the committee, “There is an expectation from management that these workplace violence incidents are just part of the job. This is unacceptable.” Lindsey reminded legislators, “Hospitals should be a place of zero tolerance of any kind of violence. Staff, patients and visitors need to know this is a place of peace and healing.” You can view the public hearing here.

Next steps: HB 1162 is expected to be voted out of the House Labor committee on Wednesday, January 22 at 8am.

We are waiting to hear the next steps for the senate companion: SB 5162.

Health care consolidations are prolific in our state, and now we are seeing private equity and hedge funds move into the healthcare space. Data shows that these transactions can negatively impact cost, quality, and access to necessary healthcare services. Nurses have seen time and again how mergers and consolidations result in reduced staff, support, and resources and the complete elimination of service lines. Our goal with the proposed legislation is to assure the accessibility and affordability of services lines and provide public oversight of such transactions.

We should expect to see the bill introduced within the next few weeks.

Washington should join New York, New Jersey and Maine in allowing workers to access unemployment insurance after more than two weeks on strike. This bill will help level the playing field, discourage economic hardship as a bargaining strategy, and promote good-faith contract negotiations.

SB 5041 is up for a public hearing next week in the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee on Tuesday, January 21. Show your support for the bill and sign in ‘PRO’ here. Make sure to do so by completing the form before 9:30am on January 21 and leave the “organization” field blank.

HB 1352/SB 5270: School nurses provide direct care, care coordination, and case management to Washington state students. Their work and presence are essential for students to benefit from their education programs, especially students impacted by academic inequities and complex health conditions. While nurses are typically trained to provide care to patients in hospitals and clinic settings, school nurses practice in non-health settings with work crossing both the education and health sectors. This can lead to professional isolation, so feeling supported is key to retention.

The Beginning Educator Support Team (BEST) is a grant program established to support novice educators and other professionals that work in Washington State’s school districts. This program helps support and retain professionals in our public education system by providing them with a mentor and support system. This legislation would direct districts participating in the BEST program and with a novice school nurse (a nurse with three years or less experience as a school nurse) to prioritize their novice school nurse for participation in the mentorship program. The mentorship opportunity will be available to all novice school nurses regardless of ESA certification or size or class of district. The goal is to improve retention of school nurses and improve health services to students.

We are currently waiting for a hearing to be scheduled on the bill.

Commercial health plans withhold up to 15% of the reimbursement for services provided by advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs) and physician assistants (PAs). This bill would require commercial insurance plans to reimburse ARNP and PA care at the same rate as physicians for the same services provided. Currently WA State Medicaid and WA Labor and Industries (L&I) reimburse ARNPs and PAs at 100% of the physician rate for the same services provided.

ARNPs United has identified a prime sponsor and is in the process of collecting additional support from legislators. We are currently waiting to see the bill filed and anticipate a hearing to be scheduled before policy committee cutoff which is February 21.

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.

HB 1022, creating a home for heroes program.

HB 1069, allowing collective bargaining over contributions for certain supplemental retirement benefits.

HB 1155, prohibiting noncompetition agreements and clarifying non solicitation agreements.

HB 1213, expanding protections for workers in the state paid family and medical leave program.

HB 1220, concerning appropriate response to assaults by individuals in behavioral health crisis.

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 2025 Legislative Priorities: click here.