Mar. 6, 2026

WSMA Legislative Priorities Advancing as Session Winds Down

The 2026 legislative session is scheduled to adjourn next Thursday, March 12, and the final days of session will be dominated by budget negotiations and deliberations over whether to establish a state income tax. If you missed last week's update on legislative budget proposals, you can read it here. Meanwhile, in addition to House Bill 2242, which will preserve access to preventive care and vaccines in our state, the WSMA has been successful in advancing—and defeating—a number of key legislative priorities this year.

Over the last week, votes have been taken in House and Senate committees to approve insurance reforms related to prior authorization (SB 5395) and prompt payment and insurance carrier claw backs (SB 5845). Legislation to extend the statutory deadlines of the Medicaid Access Program (HB 2385) is also advancing.

Defending against bills we oppose is just as important as advancing bills in Olympia, and as of this writing all scope of practice bills the WSMA opposes are considered "dead" for the 2026 session. A Senate proposal to expand scope of practice for pharmacists did get serious consideration this year, and the WSMA will be working with proponents of the bill over the legislative interim to try to work toward an appropriate compromise on the issue. The prime sponsors of the legislation in both the House and the Senate are pharmacists and have signaled their intention to have a bill approved in the 2027 session.