2023 Legislative Session Update: Week 7 (Feb. 20-26)
Friday, Feb. 24 is fiscal committee cutoff, the second major milestone of the 2023 legislative session. This means that bills that have been sent to a fiscal committee must be voted out in order to stay “alive” and continue along in the legislative process. As such, this week the Legislature devoted most of their time to hearing and passing bills out of fiscal committees. The Legislature will now spend the next ten days, until March 8, debating and voting bills out of their respective chamber. Below is an update on WSDA’s week seven activities in Olympia.
Improving Consumer Affordability through the Health Care Cost Transparency Board (Substitute House Bill 1508)
SHB 1508 improves consumer affordability through the Health Care Cost Transparency Board (Board) and authorizes the Board to enforce the health care cost growth benchmark.
A substitute bill, SHB 1508, was adopted by the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 24. The substitute version prohibits the Board from requiring any health care provider that is composed of 25 or fewer health care professionals from having to submit a performance improvement plan or pay a civil fine for data submission violations or exceeding the health care cost growth benchmark. Further the substitute, requires the Health Care Authority (HCA), when establishing a civil fine schedule, to account for the relative starting price position of the payer or provider in relation to the health care cost growth benchmark, including primary care expenditure goals. SHB 1508 requires HCA to notify a provider or payer in advance of public notice when requiring them to either submit a performance improvement plan or pay a civil fine. In addition, the substitute bill requires the Board to consider the same factors when determining whether or not to impose a performance improvement plan that it does when considering imposing a civil fine.
The House Appropriations Committee also adopted an amendment making SHB 1508 null and void unless funded in the budget.
SHB 1508 passed out of the House Appropriations Committee with a do pass recommendation on Feb. 24.
WSDA signed in CON on SHB 1508.
Update on Legislation from Weeks 1-6 Blogs
Faculty in Dental Schools (Senate Bill 5113)
A legislative request from the Department of Health, SB 5113 allows any CODA-accredited dental school in Washington state to request temporary licensure for persons who have accepted faculty employment at the school. The bill also allows dental schools to request limited licensure for postdoctoral students or postdoctoral residents. The current statute is specific to the University of Washington, and SB 5113 would ensure that faculty of the recently established Pacific Northwest University School of Dental Medicine (PNWU), along with future CODA-accredited dental schools, are able to obtain a faculty license.
SB 5113 passed the Senate unanimously on Feb. 22, and floor action can be viewed on TVW [1:17:13-1:21:27].
SB 5113 had a public hearing in the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee on Jan 19, and Dr. Fotinos Panagakos, Dean of the School of Dental Medicine at PNWU, testified in support. Dean Panagakos’ testimony can be viewed on TVW [1:03:42-1:06:16]. SB 5113 passed out of the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee unanimously on Jan. 24.
WSDA signed in PRO on SB 5113.
Establishing and Authorizing the Profession of Dental Therapy (Substitute House Bill 1678)
SHB 1678 establishes the profession of dental therapy in Washington. If enacted, SHB 1678 allows those with as little as three years of training to perform irreversible procedures on our most vulnerable populations. Patients with limited access to care often live with medical complexities that require expert skills in assessment, diagnosis, and support during treatment. These needs far exceed the scope of practice of a dental therapist.
A substitute bill, SHB 1678, was adopted by the House Health Care & Wellness Committee on Feb. 17. The substitute version adds dentists that are exempt from licensure under the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to the definition of dentist, authorizing them to supervise dental therapists. SHB 1678 also modifies the requirement that allows applicants who have graduated from a nonaccredited dental therapy program to apply for a dental therapy license by limiting it to applicants that completed a nonaccredited program that the Dental Hygiene Examining Committee (Committee) determines is substantially equivalent to CODA accreditation standards before Sept. 30, 2022. Additionally, the substitute bill requires the Committee to consult with Tribes that license dental health aide therapists and with dental therapy education programs when considering and approving the exam required for licensure. Further, SHB 1678 removes tooth reimplantation from the scope of practice for dental therapists and modifies the extractions a dental therapist may perform by replacing the authorization to perform "nonsurgical extractions of periodontally diseased permanent teeth with tooth mobility of plus 3 to plus 4 if the teeth are not unerupted, are not impacted, are not fractured, and do not need to be sectioned for removal" with "nonsurgical extractions of erupted permanent teeth under limited conditions." Lastly, SHB 1678 corrects references to the practice locations for dental health aide therapists and clarifies that tribal federally qualified health centers (FQHC) are a FQHC where dental therapists may practice.
The House Health Care & Wellness Committee also adopted an amendment that removes pulpotomies on primary teeth from the scope of practice of a dental therapist.
SHB 1678 passed out of the House Appropriations Committee with a do pass recommendation on Feb. 23, and executive session can be viewed on TVW [5:29:10-5:34:00]. SHB 1678 received 17 ay votes, 12 nay votes, one nay without recommendation vote, and one representative was excused.
WSDA testified in opposition of SHB 1678 during the bill’s public hearing in the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 22, and testimony can be viewed on TVW [1:57:10-1:58:03].
SHB 1678 passed out of the House Health Care & Wellness Committee on Feb. 17, and executive session can be viewed on TVW [4:31-7:30 and 20:21-44:05].
WSDA and member dentists testified in opposition of HB 1678 during the bill’s public hearing in the House Health Care & Wellness Committee on Feb. 7, and testimonies can be viewed on TVW [WSDA lobbyist Trent House (1:28:58-1:30:45), Dr. Mark Koday (1:30:46-1:32:35), Dr. Aimi Mituwani (1:32:47-1:34:29), Dr. Brittany Dean (1:40:21-1:41:40), and Dr. Amy Winston (1:41:45-1:42:47)].
Currently Credentialed Dental Auxiliaries (House Bill 1466)
HB 1466 aims to make it easier and faster for in state and out-of-state dental hygienists, in good standing, to obtain a WA license and start providing preventive care sooner. Amendments adopted in the House Health Care & Wellness Committee on Feb. 17 significantly narrowed the bill. The amended bill removes all provisions related to creating endorsements for local anesthesia, nitrous sedation, and restorative procedures. HB 1466 does retain provisions that rename the limited license as a temporary license, remove the active practice requirement, and the remove the AIDS education requirements for obtaining a temporary license. Lastly, the amended bill modifies the temporary license by extending the expiration of the license from 18 months to three years.
HB 1466 remains in the House Rules Committee.
HB 1466 passed out of the House Health Care & Wellness Committee on Feb. 17, and executive session can be viewed on TVW [2:36-3:47 and 14:40-17:29].
WSDA, Delta Dental of Washington, and member dentists testified in support of HB 1466 during the bill’s public hearing in the House Health Care & Wellness Committee on Feb. 7, and testimonies can be viewed on TVW [Bracken Killpack (49:23-51:37), Diane Oakes (51:38-53:55), Dr. Ashely Ulmer (53:56-56:46), and Scott Henderson (1:06:35-1:08:55)].
Questions?
Please contact WSDA at info@wsda.org.
