Washington State Legislative Session Update

ARNPs United of Washington State has been working on your behalf during the state's legislative session which ends April 25, 2021.  We succeeded in securing a hearing for SB 5222 which would pay ARNPs the same as physicians for the same service. We have been actively involved in testimony and support for several other bills.  Many thanks to people who testified on behalf of SB 5222 including Maddy Wiley, ARNP, and co-owner of Family Care of Kent, Ashley Fedan, ARNP, a CRNA, and Dana Dean Doering, ARNP, PMHNP, President of Child & Family Psychiatric Mental Health and Brain Science NW. 

Many thanks as well to Darrell Owens, ARNP, who is the director of palliative care services for the UW Medical Center NW campus, for his testimony in both the House and the Senate in support of HB 1141 that would amend the Death with Dignity Act to add ARNPs.  Thank you also to Joelle Fathi, ARNP, who has been integral to the development of the telehealth training to allow ARNPs to meet the state's requirement, for her testimony in the Senate to support HB 1196 which would add audio only telehealth to the state law that requires telehealth visits be reimbursed the same as in-person visits.

Our lobbyist, Devon Connor-Green, has worked tirelessly on behalf of ARNPs United and each of you representing us in committee hearings, meetings with legislators and agency officials, and working with other lobbyists.  Devon has established strong working relationships with legislators and their legislative aides providing us with opportunities to gain support for our bills.

Attached is a list of bills we are supporting, monitoring or opposing this session.  When the session ends April 25, bills that have not passed can be considered during the 2022 legislative session.  We anticipate hard work between April and January 2022 to gain more support to move SB 5222 to success.

We'll send a session final report in early May after the governor has completed his decisions about signing or vetoing bills.  If you are a member, please renew when your membership expires and if you are not a member, please join.  Your membership allows us to hire a lobbyist and work on your behalf.