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
Structural Relationships
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Washington State Office of the Governor
(WA Governor) -
Washington State Health Care Authority
(WA HCA)
Information Set
- No information available at this time
Observations
WSLCB - Board Caucus
(May 31, 2022) - Summary
The 2021 Healthy Youth Survey of Washington school students showed mostly positive signs around cannabis, but a three year gap disrupted comparison of trends with past results.
The Week Ahead
(April 25, 2022)
WSLCB staff planned to renew public dialogue about impairing versus non-impairing cannabinoids, providing an opportunity to question how helpful that dichotomy actually is.
WA Governor - Bill Action
(March 31, 2022) - SB 5693
The Governor shared his thoughts on the supplemental budget before signing it; the measure created two hemp task forces, a community reinvestment fund, and other cannabis-centric changes.
WA Governor - Bill Action
(March 24, 2022) - SB 5796
The Governor signed a bill which changed non-binding cannabis revenue appropriations and mandated a study of those expenditures by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee.
The Week Ahead
(March 21, 2022)
WSLCB staff would accept feedback on the upcoming social equity retail licensure window and the Cannabis Alliance planned to host leading legislators to discuss what happened in 2022.
WA House APP - Committee Meeting
(February 22, 2022) - SB 5796 - Public Hearing
Staff briefed on a bill with complex changes to recommended cannabis tax appropriations before testimony emphasized benefits for transparency, social equity, and local governments.
The Week Ahead
(February 21, 2022)
As the timeline for legislation became more compressed, committees crammed bills for action - while the WSLCB cannabinoid regulation bill was granted a second chance to NTIB.
WA House COG - Committee Meeting
(January 25, 2022) - HB 2035 - Public Hearing
Prevention interests spoke favorably of a bill to form a “behavioral health prevention and equity impact framework” at WSLCB, but the appearance of unbalanced representation raised concerns.
The Week Ahead
(January 24, 2022)
24 cannabis-related bills were active and 11 were scheduled for committee activity in the week ahead, including social equity, craft endorsements, and WSLCB request legislation.
The Week Ahead
(January 10, 2022)
As the 2022 Washington state legislative session began on Monday, 12 cannabis-related bills had been pre-filed for introduction and 7 would be reintroduced from 2021.