Essential information on each bill is below. For more details, click on the bill number – e.g., “SB 5000.” The new page will show the progress of the bill, videos of debate, and the link to send a comment to your legislator about the bill.
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Health Care
Providing sufficient funding for the Washington state long-term care ombuds program.
Bill Summary
House Bill 1664 addresses funding for Washington state’s long-term care ombuds program, which provides advocacy and protection for residents in licensed long-term care facilities. The bill first acknowledges that residents have specific rights under state law, are classified as vulnerable adults, and are entitled to ombuds services that help investigate and resolve complaints affecting their health, safety, and welfare.
The LTC Ombuds Program advocates for residents of nursing homes, adult family homes, and assisted living facilities. Its purpose is to protect and promote the resident rights guaranteed to residents under federal and state law and regulations. Program staff and certified volunteers are trained to receive complaints and resolve problems in situations involving quality of care, use of restraints, transfer and discharge, abuse, and other aspects of resident dignity and rights. The are on the front line of being advocates for residents.
The program needs additional funding to respond to the increase in the number of people who rely on long term care facilities. Recognizing that a 2020 report found insufficient funding to meet recommended staffing levels, the bill requires the long-term care ombuds program to develop annual funding recommendations by September 1, 2025. These recommendations must ensure adequate resources to maintain a ratio of one full-time ombuds for every 2,000 residents, as suggested by the Institute of Medicine. The funding recommendations must also account for projected growth in long-term care facilities, inflation factors from the consumer price index, and administrative needs. The department of commerce must then submit these recommendations to the office of financial management and legislative fiscal committees for budget consideration, with the ultimate goal of ensuring robust support for protecting the rights and well-being of long-term care facility residents.
Bill Summary
House Bill 1668 addresses various aspects of community custody and supervision of offenders in Washington state, with several key provisions focusing on improving oversight, accountability, and technology in tracking and managing individuals under community supervision. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Corrections to exercise discretion when recommending escape charges for individuals who fail to maintain contact, establishes a new process for community corrections officers to coordinate with local law enforcement in locating and apprehending individuals who have absconded, and mandates enhanced electronic monitoring capabilities that include real-time tracking, tamper-alert technology, and victim notification systems.
The bill also requires behavioral health providers to update community corrections officers on a supervised individual’s treatment compliance, develops a system to track scheduled polygraph tests, and makes technical changes to how prior criminal convictions are scored in sentencing calculations. Additionally, the bill includes provisions for more nuanced handling of community custody violations, allowing for graduated sanctions and giving departments more flexibility in responding to different levels of infractions while maintaining public safety as a priority.
Bill Summary
House Bill 1670 aims to increase transparency around sewage spills in Washington State by requiring the Department of Ecology to create a public-facing website and notification system for reporting sewage spills. By July 1, 2026, the department must develop a website that provides detailed information about sewage spills, including the volume of discharge, treatment level, date and time of the incident, location, potential impact area, and steps taken to contain the spill. The website must be designed to be accessible to people with limited English proficiency.
By July 1, 2027, the department must also implement a public notification system that allows people to receive alerts about sewage spills within four hours during regular business hours. Additionally, the department is required to publish an annual report by March 15th each year detailing sewage spills from the previous calendar year, including information about impacted waters, duration, volume, and any departmental actions. The bill defines key terms such as “combined sewer” and “sewage spill” and is intended to help people who rely on clean water for jobs, recreation, or cultural traditions to stay informed about potential water quality issues.
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Education
Reassigning and authorizing surrendered, revoked, or nonrenewed charter school contracts.
Bill Summary
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Life
Concerning access at public postsecondary educational institutions to medication abortion.
Bill Summary
This Senate Bill mandates that public higher education institutions provide access to abortion medications for students by the 2026-27 academic year. The bill cites significant barriers for students seeking abortion services, including distance to facilities and increased wait times. It proposes solutions, including on-campus access through student health centers or referrals to off-campus providers, along with telehealth support.
Not surprisingly, the legislation does not take into account the dangers of utilizing abortion medications without physician supervision but instead emphasizes the purported safety and efficacy of the abortion medications. Unbelievably, the bill also notes the medications importance in regards to academic success. In other words, kill the baby so you can achieve better grades.
Abstaining from sex outside marriage would be a much better approach. By making it easier to obtain an abortion by simply going to the campus abortion clinic (sans ’Student Health Center’) it promotes even more promiscuous sexual behaviors. Please oppose this awful legislation.