AN ACT Relating to the application of substance use disorder monitoring program provisions to nursing assistants;
Summary
HB 2340 expands Washington’s substance use disorder monitoring program provisions to apply to nursing assistants and related credential holders under the nursing assistant chapter and chapter 18A RCW. The bill authorizes the department or board to withhold from public posting information about an enforcement action when the person has been ordered or agreed to participate in a board-approved substance use disorder monitoring program, has substantially complied with the order or agreement, and the department or board can prevent the information from appearing on a third-party public website. It also creates a stipend program to help eligible participants pay out-of-pocket costs associated with monitoring program participation.
To qualify for the stipend program, a person must hold an active, inactive, or suspended credential, submit an application, be actively participating in or have completed the monitoring program within the prior six months, and demonstrate financial need. The board may reimburse up to 80 percent of eligible expenses, including evaluation, treatment, drug testing, peer support groups, and other approved ancillary services. The board must publish aggregate program information on its website and establish the stipend program by July 1, 2026, with rulemaking authority to implement the new section. The act takes effect July 1, 2026.
Impact
The bill amends RCW provisions governing nursing assistants and substance use disorder monitoring to add privacy protections around certain enforcement actions and to authorize a new financial assistance program for monitoring participants. It affects the public disclosure of disciplinary information, especially where third-party websites are involved, and it directs the board to administer and report on a new stipend program funded only to the extent appropriated. Nursing assistants and other covered credential holders who are in or have recently completed monitoring may benefit from reduced costs and reduced public visibility of certain enforcement records.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad support. It passed the House committee unanimously, cleared House floor passage by a wide margin, and then passed the Senate committee and Senate floor with strong majorities. The voting pattern suggests general agreement that the bill addresses a practical need for treatment-monitoring participants while preserving regulatory oversight.
Contention
There is little evidence of major controversy in the available record. The main policy issues implied by the bill are whether public enforcement information should be shielded when a person is complying with a monitoring agreement, and whether state funds should be used to subsidize participation costs. Any concern would likely center on balancing privacy and rehabilitation against transparency and public accountability, but the recorded votes show only limited opposition.