The Washington State Health Care Authority (WA HCA) purchases health care for Medicaid eligible Washington residents and public employees. The agency also procures funding for the development and implementation of substance use treatment and prevention programs with the intention of "integrating physical health and behavioral health services for better results and healthier residents."
Washington State Health Care Authority
(WA HCA)
Public
Observations
WA House RSG - Committee Meeting
(January 16, 2024) - HB 2182 - Public Hearing
With some calls for additional data or formatting changes, testimony in a hearing on legislation to set up a WSLCB data dashboard was largely supportive.
The Week Ahead
(December 26, 2023)
The post holiday calm before the 2024 legislative session allowed for the Department of Agriculture to host a public hearing on proposed rules for cannabis lab quality standards.
WA HCA - DBHR Listening Session
(November 28, 2023) - Five-Year Strategic Plan
WA HCA staff presented the newest strategic plan for substance use disorder prevention and mental health promotion, touching on the history, goals, and groups that created the plan.
The Week Ahead
(December 4, 2023)
As legislators sought perspectives on contemporary cannabis policy issues and regulators willingly shared, a group of publicly-funded prevention researchers kept their doors closed.
JLARC - Committee Meeting
(November 29, 2023) - Appropriations and Expenditures of the Dedicated Cannabis Account
Staff went over how cannabis tax revenue had been spent, offered comparisons to other states, and recommended transparency improvements while fielding lawmaker questions.
The Week Ahead
(October 23, 2023)
WSLCB staff planned to ask board members to begin rulemaking efforts on Retail Medical Cannabis Endorsements and to expand the Social Equity Program as encoded in SB 5080.
WSIPP - Board of Directors Meeting
(September 11, 2023) - I-502 Evaluation Presentation
Presenting a report on cannabis health and safety outcomes, staff detailed patterns and limitations in their data as board members asked about the findings and future WSIPP studies.
WSLCB - Board Caucus
(September 26, 2023) - Summary
Board members heard a few rulemaking updates before reflecting on the development of the Research Unit and the impending departure of a rulemaking and research leader at WSLCB.
The Week Ahead
(September 25, 2023)
Senate cannabis policy committee members planned to convene an interim work session on biometric age verification while the WSLCB board hosted regularly scheduled meetings.
The Week Ahead
(July 24, 2023)
In Oregon and Washington, land grant university and federal agricultural scientists invited the public to tour experimental fiber and grain hemp fields to learn about contemporary research.