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AHW 2020 Legislative Priorities

Adopted Dec. 18, 2019
Bill numbers added on Jan. 16, 2020

Alliance for a Healthy Washington’s mission is to secure for all Washingtonians sustainable, fair, and transformative health care policy that advances our healthcare system while also addressing our current healthcare crises.

During the session starting Jan. 13, 2020, Alliance for a Healthy Washington (AHW) and its members are pursuing public policy priorities that captures the following goals: 

  • Expand access to health coverage for young adults and for those post-pregnancy
  • Increasing access to dental care by establishing the profession of dental therapist
  • Improving transparency within health system to ensure cost effectiveness and adequate services
  • Increase access to opioid overdose reversal medication 
  • Improve environmental health impacts by increasing funding for wildfire prevention

Below are the bill numbers listed on our agenda with the title and prime sponsors in each house:  

  • Concerning health coverage for young adults [HB 1697 (Macri) / SB 5814 (Nguyen)]
  • Extending coverage during the postpartum period [SB 6128 (Randall) & HB 2381 (Stonier)]
  • Establishing the profession of dental therapist [SHB 1317 (Cody) & SB 5392 (Frockt)]
  • Requiring a co-prescription of opioid overdose reversal medication [HB 2337  (Macri) & SB 6447 (Liias)]
  • Concerning health system transparency [HB 2036 (Macri)]
  • Concerning funding for wildfire prevention and preparedness activities [HB 2413 (Fitzgibbon)]
  • Providing for suicide awareness and prevention programs to create safer homes and reduce suicide among service members, veterans, and their families [HB 1648  (Orwall)]
  • Addressing the suicide and addiction crisis among American Indians and Alaska Natives [SB 6258 (McCoy)]
  • Improving the Indian behavioral health system [SB 6259 (McCoy]

In 2020 and beyond, AHW has moved to pursue the following identified priorities: 

  • The legislation needed to reach sustainable, fair, and transformative health care policy that advances our healthcare system requires modernization and rebalancing of the Washington state tax structure. AHW is committed to the mission of the bipartisan work group established in HB 1109 (p. 52, line 23 to p. 58, line 14).
  • Bringing parity and access to veterans healthcare and housing across urban and rural Washington.
  • Fund HEP C as it is currently being funded at less than the full amount articulated in the state’s plan.
  • Backfilling the Title X funding lost from the federal Dept. of Health and Human Services that eliminated the ability of providers to advise, counsel, and treat patients with the full range of legal and constitutionally protected reproductive care services.
 
Continue to watch this page for updates as the session progresses.