.jpg){kind=small}
Exciting News from So Every BODY Can Move! Both of our bills, HB 1669 and SB 5629, successfully moved out of their respective committees on February 21st. This is a significant achievement in the legislative process, especially considering that many bills did not meet this deadline. We are incredibly grateful for the time and effort everyone invested in our big push last month. Thank you to everyone who traveled to Olympia, submitted written testimony, and responded to our action alerts before the hearings. The influence of our coalition was evident in the committee rooms and conversations with lawmakers afterward.
However, with any short-term success, compromises are often necessary for long-term progress. Unfortunately, Washington State is facing a multi-billion dollar budget deficit, which requires us to focus on progress over perfection. After discussions with our lobbyist and bill sponsors, Rep. Monica Stonier (D-Vancouver) and Paul Harris (R-Vancouver), we had to make one significant adjustment to our bills to move forward. This involved removing the State Employee Plans (SEBB/PEBB) and Individual Plans from the bill's coverage to bring our fiscal impact to zero. Now, our bill applies to large-group and small-group plans in Washington.
Although this change wasn't ideal, it allowed us to maintain our momentum without sacrificing any provisions related to O&P care in the bill. We're not done yet; there's still work to achieve our goals this year. Our strategy is to revisit this next session to reintroduce State Employee Plans, Individual Plans, and Medicaid when the state's financial situation improves.
We are committed to ensuring all Washingtonians have access to this care and are dedicated to this cause for the long haul. Policy work is a marathon, not a sprint!
What's next for our bills:
Due to the changes in covered plans, we will bypass the House and Senate Fiscal Committees and head straight to the Rules Committees and Floor votes in both chambers. We have until March 12 to be voted off the House and Senate Floor! We will soon ask you to participate in a second action alert campaign directed to all House and Senate members. We must keep up the pressure!
How you can help:
Please continue to spread the word to your networks. Let your colleagues, friends, and family know our HB 1669/SB 5629 bill numbers, and ensure they fill out our intake form. Encourage other Washington Prosthetists, Orthotists, Physicians, Physical Therapists, Individuals with LL/LD/MI, Parents & Children with LL/LD/MI, and Champions for Disability Rights to fill it out, too. You can also share the Fact Sheet and Flyer (attached)!
We will schedule a Hill Day Rally in the coming weeks to show our support for the legislation and the upcoming Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month in April. We'll send out the details as soon as we have a date.
Thank you once again for your support on this journey!
