Transcript Highlights:

• We want to see AI used to help expedite access to care.
• Finally, we note that the bill supports patient access to care.
• I'm Matt Lund, Chief Contracting Officer for UW Medicine Health System.
• UW Medicine is here today in support of Senate Bill 5845.
• UW Medicine is here today in support of Senate Bill 5845.

Bills: SB5915, SB5988, SB6025, SJM8002

Keywords: SB 5915, health technology assessment, HTA, clinical committee, medical technology review, coverage determination, state-purchased health care, Washington health care, RCW, evidence-based medicine, cost-effectiveness, safety and efficacy, Medicare coverage, national coverage determination, clinical guidelines, patient advocacy, public comment, medical necessity, rare disease, life-threatening disease

Bills: SCR159

Keywords: Waikiki, beach restoration, shoreline management, public access, environmental protection, coastal resources, tourism, economic development, traditional practices, 910, house, all

Bills: SB5188, SB6313

Keywords: broadband, infrastructure, loan assistance, economic development, technology access, Capitol Centennial Stewardship, funding, gifts, grants, donations, legislative support, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You want it to drive access. You want it to reduce disparities.
• So that's what we have access to today.
• So, one, you get great access for your folks.
• Helen Chu, Professor of Medicine at UW Medicine and Associate Dean for Research at UW School of Public
• Integrate rural access strategies.

Bills: SB5877, SB5967

Keywords: anesthesiology, medical personnel, surcharges, licensing, healthcare regulations, preventive services, state authority, healthcare access, insurance coverage, public health, 904, all

Summary: The Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee opened its 2026 session with a work session on access, quality, and affordability. Health Care Authority officials Michelle Needham and Ross Florey, joined later by Washington Health Alliance medical director Dr. Drew Oliva, reviewed the Health Care Cost Transparency Board’s work and data. They said Washington has reduced its uninsured rate from 15% to 5%, but health care spending growth remains above the benchmark, with 2023 spending growth at 6.2% versus a 3.2% target. They identified major cost drivers such as prescription drugs, hospital outpatient care, and professional services, and said 2026 priorities include market oversight/transparency, slowing spending growth, and increasing primary care. Dr. Oliva added that quality measures remain mostly below the 90th percentile, primary care attachment is weak, hospital pricing varies widely, and behavioral health data remain a blind spot. Senators asked about links between cost and quality, primary care recommendations, ambulance costs, and medical homes. The presenters also discussed federal changes affecting Medicaid and exchange coverage and said the committee’s recent legislation on reference-based pricing, APCD transparency, and planning/data collection would help future work. The committee then held a public hearing on Senate Bill 5877, a technical fix to extend the $70 Physician Health Program surcharge to certified anesthesiologist assistants so they can participate in the Washington Physicians Health Program and related resources. Committee staff and the prime sponsor said the bill corrects a statutory gap after CAA licensure was created in 2024. Testimony from the Washington Medical Commission, the Washington Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants, and the Washington Physicians Health Program supported the bill as a consistency and workforce-support measure. The bill drew 12 pro and 2 con sign-ins, and no vote was taken in the transcript. The committee also heard Senate Bill 5967, which would preserve access to preventive services by allowing the Department of Health to issue immunization recommendations based on multiple expert sources and by maintaining state insurance coverage for preventive services tied to federal recommendations as of June 30, 2025, with authority for OIC rulemaking to keep coverage at least as favorable to enrollees. Governor Ferguson’s office, Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer, and Secretary of Health Dennis Worsham testified in support, saying the bill does not create new vaccine mandates but protects existing no-cost coverage and gives Washington flexibility if federal vaccine guidance becomes unstable. Supporters included physicians and pediatricians who described vaccine-preventable deaths, rising measles and pertussis concerns, and the importance of stable, science-based guidance and universal vaccine access. Opponents argued the bill politicizes vaccines, expands state discretion without enough transparency or fiscal detail, and should instead end mandates; they also raised concerns about conflicts of interest in medical organizations. The hearing continued with additional supportive testimony from family physicians and pediatric specialists emphasizing prevention, access, and evidence-based recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, I will say my concern is just making sure people have access to be able to get on those outer walls
• We often say in medicine that to properly treat or prevent a chronic disease, we must first understand
• Ensure that Texas doctors can practice real medicine.
• That's what I found through my culinary medicine program.
• Many Texans are unfamiliar with naturopathic medicine, so here's a quick introduction.

Bills: HB25, HB38

Keywords: ivermectin, pharmacist authority, prescription-free, healthcare regulation, patient access, interest rate, ad valorem taxes, homesteads, property tax, tax deferral

Transcript Highlights:

• medicine.
• medicine.
• Thank you. and access like this. So I too am behind and access like this.
• </c> funding, access, and process. funding, access, and process.
• </c> improving access to care. improving access to care.

Bills: HF4712, HF4801, HF3756, HF4860, HF4931, HF4289, HF4460

Keywords: residential pools, swimming classes, certification, private business, health safety, health care, prior authorization, managed care, medical assistance, mental health, substance use treatment, chronic conditions, health insurance, insulin, healthcare access, pharmacy regulations, patient assistance, affordable medication, healthcare, pharmacy

Transcript Highlights:

• regularly apply for federal and state grants with similar conservation requirements and sometimes public access
• And often that includes forms of public access where that's applicable or appropriate.

Bills: SB5919, SB5816

Keywords: fire safety, insurance incentives, best practices, community protection, voluntary measures, juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, state regulation, market access, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Their ability to access food.
• </c> access to healthy foods. access to healthy foods.
• </c><01:13:56.640><c> while</c> makes voting more accessible while makes voting more accessible while
• And one of the things access centers.
• It's already written in access to these.

Bills: HB1546

Keywords: Medicaid, health insurance, healthcare access, insurance subsidies, pilot program, affordable care, preventive services, low-income, community engagement, 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 2083, which would add homeless shelters to Hawaii’s drug-free/safe-zone protections. The City and County prosecutor’s office strongly supported the bill, saying service providers asked for the change because drug activity near shelters can undermine recovery efforts. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the measure, focusing on a possible notice problem because many shelters are not readily identifiable and the bill’s 750-foot distance requirement could be difficult to apply. The Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii also opposed the bill, arguing it would expand criminalization of poverty and drug use and that drug-free zone laws are ineffective and disproportionately harmful. The prosecutor’s office said it would do more research on the notice concern. The committee then moved on without taking a vote in the transcript provided. The committee next discussed HB 2087, which would change the treatment of abuse of family or household member cases by ending the deferred-acceptance pilot and returning to the prior statute. The prosecutor’s office supported the bill, saying the pilot had not reduced backlog as intended and that domestic violence cases should remain petty misdemeanors without deferral. The Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Public Defender’s Office both opposed HB 2087, instead urging extension of the pilot for another five years so the legislature can better evaluate how deferred acceptance is working. They said deferrals can be a useful incentive for behavior change and that more data is needed before ending the program. Committee members questioned the prosecutor about why Hawaii should differ from other counties and whether repeat offenders could keep receiving deferrals; the prosecutor said the deferral is available only once and reiterated support for returning to the old statute. The committee then heard HB 2096 on aggravated circumstances in child protective proceedings. The family court and Attorney General’s Office supported the bill, saying current law limits aggravated-circumstances findings to the early return hearing, which can prevent findings in the most serious abuse cases when key evidence is not yet available. They said the bill would allow such findings later in the case and, with proposed amendments, would let the court consolidate aggravated-circumstances and termination-of-parental-rights hearings to reduce delay and appeals. The Libertarian Party of Hawaii opposed the measure, arguing it would expand state power in family matters and could worsen outcomes for parents and children. Committee questions focused on the amended language, including what “another court of competent jurisdiction” means and whether a charge alone would be enough; the judiciary responded that criminal courts are included, but a hearing and opportunity to defend would still be required. Finally, the committee took up HB 1959, another domestic violence measure. The Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Public Defender’s Office, the Crime Victim Compensation Commission, the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, and county prosecuting offices testified in support. Supporters said the bill would extend the pilot program while keeping deferred acceptance of guilty pleas in place, giving more time to evaluate whether the program is working and whether a more formal diversion model should be developed. The coalition also suggested technical fixes to ensure judiciary data reporting continues and that the deferred-acceptance statute is not inadvertently repealed. No vote or final action was taken in the transcript before the committee moved on to the next bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• My vision for the college, for the future, is to see the college continue to be an accessible entry point
• The college continuing to be an accessible entry point to higher education, workforce training, and lifelong
• enduring passions are higher education and veterans' support and services, especially in the areas of accessibility

Bills: S0720, S1246

Keywords: tuition, resident status, incarceration, education, equal access, nursing shortage, health care, education funding, workforce development, LINE Fund, monetary contributions, nonmonetary contributions

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met to consider one bill, a postponed bill, and a slate of trustee confirmations. The committee first took up CS/SB 1246, which expands the Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) fund to support health science workforce shortages beyond nursing, including allied health programs. The bill also broadens eligible uses of funds, revises matching requirements and grant criteria, and updates reporting requirements. A strike-all amendment was adopted without objection, and the committee then reported the bill favorably after supportive testimony from Florida State College at Jacksonville, the Florida Hospital Association, the College of Central Florida, and the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Senator Davis also noted a favorable vote on the bill for the record. The committee then temporarily postponed SB 720 at the sponsor’s request. Chair Harrell explained that the bill had been incorporated into a larger committee measure and would likely be heard later in another form. Public witnesses who had come to speak on the bill were not heard because of the postponement. The remainder of the meeting focused on confirmations for trustees at several state colleges, including Chipola College, Tallahassee State College, Pensacola State College, Palm Beach State College, Pasco-Hernando State College, and St. Petersburg College. The appointees emphasized themes of affordability, workforce training, nursing and allied health success, dual enrollment, community partnerships, and local economic development. After hearing from the appointees, the committee approved a block motion to recommend confirmation of all appointees on tabs 2 through 25. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• was only known to or knowable by the voter, because it's very important that government doesn't get access

Bills: SB1006, SB1029, SB1037, SB1038, SB1040, SB1057, SB1060, SB1237

Keywords: campaign finance, contribution limits, reporting requirements, political action committees, elections, campaign contributions, candidate committees, posthumous provisions, termination process, Arizona Revised Statutes, voting systems, vote tabulation, election security, internet connectivity, offline voting, chain of custody, polling place equipment, counting center, central counting center, election management system

Transcript Highlights:

• Access should never hinge on cost.
• I required loss of prescription medicines and things like that.
• What counts as access?
• We didn't have access to care at a clinic.
• If you have a body, you should be able to access care for your body.

Bills: SB6258, SB6182, SB5947, SJR8206, SB5823, SB6292

Keywords: Washington Medical Commission, medical license, license relinquishment, voluntary surrender, nondisciplinary pathway, physician regulation, health professional licensing, disciplinary database, National Practitioner Data Bank, license renewal, license reinstatement, medical board, professional discipline, credential surrender, healthcare regulation, abortion, reproductive health, pregnancy termination, clinic access, abortion access fund

Summary: The Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee held a January 29 public hearing on six bills, moving through a large number of testifiers under a one-minute limit. The first bill, SB 6292, would create a joint legislative-executive committee on health care financing to study financing mechanisms for statewide access and coverage; the sponsor and several supporters from the Health Care Authority, insurance, hospital, medical, labor, and patient groups said it could help the state respond to affordability and sustainability challenges, while some suggested coordination and scope amendments. The committee also waived the five-day notice rule to hear SB 6258 and SB 6182 that morning. SB 6258 would create a non-disciplinary pathway for voluntary relinquishment of certain Washington Medical Commission licenses. Staff and supporters said it would provide a humane, due-process-friendly option for physicians and other licensees who need to leave practice without discipline; testimony from the Medical Commission and a physicians’ health program strongly supported it. SB 6182 would establish an abortion savings program funded by a new assessment on health carriers and direct the Department of Health to issue grants for abortion clinical care. Supporters argued it would protect abortion access and recoup funds set aside under the ACA, while opponents raised concerns about the assessment functioning as a tax, lack of opt-out, and impacts on premiums and conscience rights. The committee also heard SB 5947, which would create the Washington Health Care Board to design a universal state health plan if and when federal authority and funding become available. Supporters from labor, health care, student, tribal, and universal-care advocacy groups said it would prepare Washington for a future federal waiver and advance universal coverage; opponents argued it was too vague, costly in principle, or unnecessary. SJR 8206 would place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to declare affordable health care a fundamental right; testimony was sharply divided between supporters who said it would establish a clear state commitment and opponents who warned of legal uncertainty, vague terms, and future budget pressures. Finally, SB 5823 would require licensed hospitals to employ or provide access to a patient advocate to help patients navigate care, records, billing, and appointments. The sponsor said it was prompted by constituent concerns, while hospital and patient coalition witnesses supported the goal but asked for amendments to clarify staffing, exemptions, and scope. No votes on the bills were taken in the hearing; the committee adjourned after testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um a a not require access under law.
• </c> administrative warrant to access administrative warrant to access campuses.<01:02:16.960><c> And
• to needed medical care, children access to their schools, access to food and shelter, and people of
• </c><01:33:41.520><c> of</c> of faith access to their places of of faith access to their places of worship
• </c><01:41:33.040><c> to</c> federal immigration officers access to federal immigration officers access

Bills: HF3432, HF3411

Keywords: resident tuition, employment, higher education, Minnesota, tuition rates, state universities, immigration status, immigration, postsecondary education, privacy, data access, federal officers, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> training that you just take in medicine training that you just take in medicine to<00:08:38.000>
• > a</c> practice of medicine who isn't a practice of medicine who isn't a licensed<00:15:28.560><c> practitioner
• So, like I say, a ends up medicine.
• Are we uh high blood pressure medicines?
• And I feel like that is fully the practice of medicine.

Bills: HB0143, HB0129

Keywords: health care providers, free speech, discrimination, governmental agencies, civil remedies, physician access, internationally trained physicians, medical licensing, provisional license, healthcare workforce, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> of medicine. Thank you. of medicine. Thank you.
• </c> Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics. Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics.
• </c> medicine here in the state of Wyoming. medicine here in the state of Wyoming.
• </c> disciplined by the board of medicine. disciplined by the board of medicine.
• So, I would board of medicine.

Bills: HB0143, HB0129

Keywords: health care providers, free speech, discrimination, governmental agencies, civil remedies, physician access, internationally trained physicians, medical licensing, provisional license, healthcare workforce, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So this exemption is not about shutting doors or limiting access.
• behavior analysis. ...an act relative to protecting access to applied behavior analysis.
• If a child needs a wheelchair to access the building, we provide it.
• If a child needs speech therapy to learn, we ensure access to it. ABA is no different.
• It's not a luxury; it's access.

Bills: H4867, H4927

Keywords: school choice, education policy, educational funding, public schools, student enrollment, applied behavior analysis, autism, education, special needs, school access, therapeutic interventions, 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That related to access of the courts.
• They just want to control when you can access it.
• as well as access birth control.
• This bill would prevent reckless groups like Aid Access.
• So, so your goal is really to shut down aid access is what you're saying.

Bills: HB7, SB 8

Keywords: abortion, healthcare, jurisdiction, civil action, qui tam, prohibition, state law, sex designation, restroom access, civil penalties, private civil right of action, women's privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• Judges have access to so much more information than the doctors do.”
• You get penalized for seeking access to the courts under the Constitution?
• So all it is is simply access to the courts. So it's a form.
• I've spent my career in occupational medicine and workers' comp.
• You talk about access to care and Delays, the denials, and the access to care.

Bills: HB282, HB293, HB390, HB456, HB460, HB561, HB819, HB1023, HB1047, HB1101

Keywords: employment discrimination, criminal history, rehabilitation, hiring process, human rights, gender identity, sexual orientation, workplace equality, labor rights, domestic abuse, unpaid leave, employee rights, workplace protection, mental health, survivor support, workers' compensation, employment benefits, claims process, fraud prevention, legal petition

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Corinne Brea, and I'm a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Nemours Children's Hospital
• They're preventable with access to swim lesson vouchers like what Senator Yarborough is proposing.
• , osteopathic medicine, and nursing.
• Into banks outside of the state treasuries and can directly access these funds.
• In Florida, members of the boards of medicine, osteopathic medicine, and nursing serve four-year terms

Bills: S0428, S0606, S0192, S0162, S0340

Keywords: drowning prevention, water safety, swimming lessons, swim vouchers, child drowning, infant safety, toddler safety, pool safety, bath safety, safe bathing practices, postpartum education, newborn care, childbirth education, birth centers, home birth providers, Department of Health, public health, water competency, swim instruction, infant supervision

Summary: The Senate Health Policy Committee met with a quorum and took up several health-related bills, with a strong focus on drowning prevention and patient safety. SB 428 by Senator Yarborough would expand Florida’s swim lesson voucher program from children ages 0-4 to ages 1-7. Supporters, including a pediatric emergency physician and YMCA leadership, cited Florida’s high child drowning rates and argued that swim lessons reduce risk and should be available to more children. Senator Harrell noted the need to consider increasing the program’s funding as eligibility expands. The bill was reported favorably. The committee also heard SB 606 by Senator Smith, which adds drowning prevention and safe bathing education to postpartum materials provided by hospitals, birthing centers, and, after amendment, no longer home birth providers. A parent who lost a child to drowning testified in support, and senators emphasized the preventability of such deaths. The bill, as amended, was reported favorably as a committee substitute. SB 340 by Senator Harrell would require nursing students to complete a two-hour human trafficking course before licensure; after a strike-all amendment shifted the requirement from nursing programs to the students themselves, the bill received support from advocates and was reported favorably as a committee substitute. The committee also considered SB 162 by Senator Davis, which would require hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to adopt policies for using smoke evacuation systems during procedures that generate surgical smoke. The sponsor said the equipment is relatively inexpensive and already common in many facilities, while opponents and some senators questioned the medical evidence, enforcement, and possible impacts on rural and smaller facilities. Despite those concerns, the bill was reported favorably, with some members voting no. SB 192, presented by Senator Trumbull on behalf of Senator Martin, would remove the $1,500 cap on advances chiropractic physicians may collect for examinations or treatment; the Florida Chiropractic Society supported the change as pro-small-business, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee also received an OPAGA presentation comparing Florida’s health care practitioner regulation system with other states, focusing on board autonomy, rulemaking oversight, board composition, appointments, term limits, and funding mechanisms.

Bills: SB 8, HB7, HB15, HB 265, HCR 13, SB 8, HB 7, HB 15, HB 265, HCR 13

Keywords: sex designation, restroom access, civil penalties, private civil right of action, women's privacy, abortion, healthcare, jurisdiction, civil action, qui tam, prohibition, state law, youth camp, safety regulations, advisory committee, child welfare, health standards, summer camp, camp safety, child abuse reporting

Transcript Highlights:

• Access to the courthouse is not a luxury.
• SB 8 guts access to justice.
• That medicine to that woman, that medicine for a medically necessary purpose, then that gynecologist,
• That medicine taken alone, you know the answer to this, Representative Zwiener, that medicine taken alone
• Saying that that's science and medicine.

Bills: SB 8, HB7, HB15, HB 265, HCR 13, SB 8, HB 7, HB 15, HB 265, HCR 13

Keywords: sex designation, restroom access, civil penalties, private civil right of action, women's privacy, abortion, healthcare, jurisdiction, civil action, qui tam, prohibition, state law, youth camp, safety regulations, advisory committee, child welfare, health standards, summer camp, camp safety, child abuse reporting