This legislative session, NoHLA seeks to (1) preserve and strengthen health care coverage and affordability in our state, (2) ensure access to reproductive health care services, (3) expand options for young adults, and (4) protect consumers from surprise or improper bills. With just over a week left for bills to pass out of their assigned policy committee, and many bills left to be heard and passed, now is the time to contact legislators about bills of interest! Here are two of the many bills we are tracking closely:

• SB 6225 would provide Medicaid-like coverage to low-income young adults up to 26 to close the gap for immigrant children ineligible for Medicaid. Executive Director, Janet Varon, testified in support of the bill this week and cited the coverage gap left behind the Basic Health Program.
• SB 6105, the Reproductive Health Access for All Act, aims to expand reproductive health access to all people in Washington. The bill includes specific provisions that address the reproductive health care needs of Washington’s immigrant and transgender communities. Staff Attorney Huma Zarif testified about the benefits of the bill for all Washington residents in the Senate Health Care Committee this week.

The 2017 legislative session concluded without an approved capital budget, leaving many schools, mental health and health care facility construction projects in limbo. The capital budget passed and was signed by Governor Inslee last week, ensuring $4.2 billion for construction projects across the state. The funded construction projects include 20 community health center dental clinic projects, strategically located in high‐need communities all over the state, expected to bring oral health care to 60,000 new patients.