Concerning the reintroduction of salmon and steelhead above blocked areas of the Columbia river.

Urges the federal government and the region to pursue the reintroduction of salmon and steelhead above the Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams through a pragmatic and science-based phased approach.

-- 2016 REGULAR SESSION --
Jan 28	First reading, referred to Agriculture & Natural Resources (Not Officially read and referred until adoption of Introduction report).

by Senate Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Senators Dammeier, Frockt, Becker, Bailey, Rivers, and Brown)

Concerning the membership of the health technology clinical committee. (REVISED FOR ENGROSSED: Concerning the health technology clinical committee membership and rotating experts. )

Requires at least one member of the health technology clinical committee to be appointed from nominations submitted by the Washington state medical association or the Washington state osteopathic medical association.

Authorizing certain public transportation benefit areas to impose a sales and use tax increase approved by voters.

Concerning the issuance of nondomiciled commercial drivers' licenses and commercial learners' permits to nonresidents.

Revises the definition of "to drive, operate, or be in physical control of a vehicle" for purposes of the uniform commercial driver's license act.

Exempts the following from providing a social security number: An applicant for a nondomiciled commercial driver's license or commercial learner's permit who is domiciled in a foreign country and who has not been issued a social security number.

Modifying notice requirements for rent increases under the residential landlord-tenant act.

Authorizes a new rule of tenancy, including a change in rent, to become effective upon completion of the term of the rental agreement and after thirty days' written notice to each affected tenant, unless otherwise agreed to by mutual consent.

Promoting greater fairness for taxpayers in prescription drug costs by pursuing prices that are aligned with or lower than the negotiated prices available to the United States veterans administration.

Requires a state agency entering into an agreement with the manufacturer, distributor, or pharmacy benefit manager of any prescription drug to: (1) Ensure that the purchase price of the drug reflects all available rebates, cash discounts, volume discounts, donations, and other discounts or credits available to the agency; and

(2) In making this determination, consider the lowest price paid for the same drug by the United States department of veterans affairs and seek a price for the prescription drug that is the same as or less than the price paid by the department of veterans affairs.

Requires the office of financial management to provide a report to the legislative fiscal committees on: (1) The total dollar amount spent on prescription drugs during the previous fiscal year; and

Expanding requirements for certain driver's license applicants and intermediate license holders.

Requires a person eighteen to twenty-one years of age, who is applying for his or her first Washington state driver's license and who did not complete a course in traffic safety education, to complete a young driver risk prevention traffic safety course offered by a licensed driver training school.

Creates the young driver safety education program within the department of licensing to provide financial assistance to indigent persons who are required to enroll in a young driver risk prevention traffic safety course.

Requires a licensed driver training school to offer a young driver risk prevention traffic safety course.

Requires the department of licensing to establish standards and requirements to ensure timely access to high-quality, affordable young driver risk prevention traffic safety courses throughout the state.

Requires an applicant for an intermediate license to have possessed a valid instruction permit for a period of not less than one year.

Concerning driver regulation programs.

Requires the department of licensing, in consultation with the traffic safety commission and other traffic safety stakeholders, to: (1) Develop a program for a driver improvement course for habitual offenders nearing suspension of their driving privilege; and

(2) Develop and submit to the legislature a program for vehicle insurance verification as part of the process of licensing and regulating drivers in the state.

Requires the department of licensing to: (1) Contract with a local provider or providers for a driver improvement course to be offered to habitual offenders; and

(2) Develop options for a subsidy program for indigent people to access the driver improvement course.

Concerning public investments.

Creating a task force on injured workers' independent medical exams.

Creates the joint legislative task force on injured workers' independent medical exams and requires the task force to: (1) Collect and review data on the frequency and use of independent medical exams for state fund exams and self-insurer exams;

(2) Oversee a survey of workers, attending medical providers, independent medical examiners, and other critical stakeholders to identify areas of needed improvement;

(3) Examine options for increased communication with injured workers regarding the purpose and need for independent medical exams and with claims adjusters and attending medical providers with the goal of decreasing the need for some independent medical exams;

(4) Review current independent medical exam certification and exam processes; and

(5) Examine the statutes and regulations from other jurisdictions as they relate to reducing the frequency of independent medical exams.

Concerning working connections child care eligibility for vulnerable children.

Provides that the legislature: (1) Finds that beginning July 1, 2016, authorizations for the working connections child care subsidy will be effective for twelve months; and

Extending the refund period for the overpayment of business and occupation taxes for certain assisted living facilities.

Establishing a conservation district online election pilot project.

Creates the conservation district online election pilot project and allows two conservation districts, to be located within counties of different populations, to participate in the online election pilot project.

Requires a conservation district electing to participate in the online election pilot project to: (1) Provide notification to the county auditor and the conservation commission by December 31, 2016; and

(2) Set a regular yearly election date for elections conducted under the pilot project.

Requires a county auditor to: (1) Provide the conservation district with a list of known and recognized vendors of online voting systems; and

(2) Open a voting center for each election conducted under the pilot project.

Prohibits a primary election from being held for a conservation district commissioner position under the pilot project.

Creating the Washington college savings program.

Creates the Washington college savings program to: (1) Provide an additional financial option for individuals, organizations, and families to save for college; and

(2) Make distributions from individual college savings program accounts for beneficiaries' attendance at public or private institutions of higher education.

Addressing industrial insurance claims made to self-insurers.

Requires a self-insurer who: (1) Has determined to allow or deny an industrial insurance claim, to issue an order allowing or denying the claim to the injured worker and the department of labor and industries within sixty days from the date of notice of a claim; and

(2) Requires additional time to determine whether to allow or deny the claim, to issue an interlocutory order to the injured worker and the department within sixty days from the date of notice of the claim.

Providing for suicide awareness and prevention education for safer homes.

Creates the safe homes task force to raise public awareness and increase suicide prevention education among new partners who are in key positions to help reduce suicide.

Requires Forefront at the University of Washington school of social work to administer and staff the task force and convene the initial meeting of the task force.

Requires the department of health to develop and administer a safe homes project to provide financial incentives to firearms dealers to encourage participation in a program to implement suicide awareness and prevention strategies.

Provides a business and occupation tax credit for a licensed firearms dealer that is certified as a safe homes partner.

Requires the department of fish and wildlife to update the pamphlet to incorporate information on suicide awareness and prevention.

Requires a licensed pharmacist or a person holding a retired active pharmacist license to complete a one-time training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management.

Requires the schools of pharmacy at the University of Washington and Washington State University to convene a work group to jointly develop a curriculum on suicide assessment, treatment, and management for pharmacy students.

Providing limitations in respect to tax raises and fee increases by the legislature.

States that an action or combination of actions by the legislature that raises taxes may be in effect for no more than one year after the effective date of the action unless approved by a two-thirds vote in both the house and the senate.

Prohibits legislative approval, for the imposition or increase of a fee, from occurring in an omnibus appropriations act.

Provides for submission of this act to a vote of the people.

-- 2016 REGULAR SESSION --
Jan 28	First reading, referred to Ways & Means.