WSNA in Olympia — 2025 Legislative Session

We are now three weeks into the 2025 session with over 1,400 bills introduced. Committees are in high gear with bill hearings and committee votes.  At the same time, majority Democrats are forging a path with the new governor, Bob Ferguson, as well as their Republican colleagues and drawing firm lines with the new Trump Administration.

The WPV bill HB 1162 has been referred to the House Appropriations committee and has a public hearing on Wednesday, February 5 at 4pm. Please keep the momentum going, we need your voice! Show your support and click on this link to sign in PRO before 3pm on February 5. Remember, under the position drop down menu select “PRO” and leave “organization” blank.

The bill was bypassed to the Appropriations committee because there is a small cost associated with implementation of the policy. Given the state’s budget situation, the legislature is looking closely at every dollar spent. We need the bill to pass out of the Appropriations committee and onto the Rules committee before moving for a vote in front of the full House.

Discussions with legislators and interested parties are taking place as final tweaks are made to the bill draft. Please stay tuned in the coming days for updates.

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.

Working Washingtonians showed strong support during the bill’s public hearing last week. SB 5041 is next scheduled for a vote in the Senate Labor committee on Friday, February 7 at 8am.

Workers do not go on strikes lightly, and UI benefits do not fully replace lost wages. Legislators see that working people are getting squeezed by increasing housing costs and the cost of groceries. Because of this, workers are forming unions and demanding more. Strikes are a last resort, and employers are always able to weather a work stoppage better than a worker. This bill would allow striking workers to access UI benefits. Washington needs to join New York, New Jersey, and Maine in allowing workers who strike to access UI benefits.

HB 1352 had a public hearing on Wednesday in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee. Cathy Meuret, a member of the School Nurses of Washington State and the Director of the School Nurse Corps Program for North Central ESD, shared with the committee that because of the BEST program, “the novice nurses feel more confident, more invested in their position and more likely to remain in their jobs.” Missed the public hearing? Click here to listen.

Because of your advocacy and action, we had a strong public showing of support with 83 individuals signing in support compared to only 10 individuals opposed. Next step would be for the bill to be scheduled for a vote in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee.

The BEST bill will support and retain school nurses, especially in rural school districts, by pairing them with a nurse mentor and support system. Students in Washington deserve access to health services while at school.

HB 1430 had a public hearing in the House Health Care & Wellness Committee on Wednesday, January 29. Justin Gill, WSNA’s President who is an ARNP and member of ARNPs United, testified in support of the bill during the public hearing. He shared with the committee that the quality of care and outcomes from services provided by ARNPs and PAs are equivalent to that of physicians. Yet, commercial insurance plans withhold up to 15% of the reimbursement for the services as profits for the companies. HB 1430 requires commercial insurance plans to reimburse ARNP and PA care at the same rate as physicians, for the same services provided.

Thank you for your engagement and action! HB 1430 had a strong showing of support with 551 individuals signed in support and only 17 signed in as opposed.

We’ll keep you updated as the bill moves through the legislative process. If you’re interested, you can watch the public hearing here.

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.

NEW! HB 1686/SB 5561, creating a health care entity registry

NEW! HB 1560, funding health care access by imposing an excise tax on the annual compensation paid to certain highly compensated hospital employees

NEW! SB 5240, concerning anaphylaxis medication in schools

NEW! SB 5335, establishing the rural nursing education program

NEW! HB 1675/SB 5387, concerning the corporate practice of medicine

NEW! SB 5526, concerning the regulation of tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, and vapor products

NEW! SB 5493, concerning hospital price transparency

NEW! HB 1622/SB 5422, allowing bargaining over matters related to the use of artificial intelligence

SB 5271, requiring school districts of the first class to employ a school nurse

HB 1445/SB 5233, developing the Washington health trust

HB 1567, concerning licensure of health care administrators

HB 1077, raising awareness of pain control options for intrauterine device placement and removal

HB 1531, preserving the ability of public officials to address communicable diseases

HB 1022, creating a home for heroes program.

HB 1069/SB 5044, allowing collective bargaining over contributions for certain supplemental retirement benefits.

HB 1155/SB 5437, 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.