Washington legislation · 2025-26 Regular Session
Washington SB6103: Rural hospital payments
Status: Signed into law, March 18, 2026
Making payments for services provided by a rural emergency hospital subject to appropriation.
What the bill says
An act Relating to making payments for services provided by a rural emergency hospital subject to appropriation; and amending RCW 74.09.5225.
From the enrolled text:
AN ACT Relating to making payments for services provided by a rural emergency hospital subject to appropriation; and amending RCW 74.09.5225. Sec. 1. RCW 74.09.5225 and 2017 c 198 s 1 are each amended to read as follows: (1) Payments for recipients eligible for medical assistance programs under this chapter for services provided by hospitals, regardless of the beneficiary's managed care enrollment status, shall be made based on allowable costs incurred during the year, when services are provided by a rural hospital certified by the centers for medicare and medicaid services as a critical access hospital, unless the critical access hospital is participating in the Washington rural health access preservation pilot described in subsection (2)(b) of this section. Any additional payments made by the authority for the healthy options program shall be no more than the additional amounts per service paid under this section for other medical assistance programs. (2)(a) Beginning on July 24, 2005, except as provided in (b) of this subsection, a moratorium shall be placed on additional hospital participation in critical access hospital payments under this section. However, rural hospitals that applied for certification to the centers for medicare and medicaid services prior to January 1, 2005, but have not yet completed the process or have not yet been approved for certification, remain eligible for medical assistance …
Sponsors
- Ron Muzzall (R) · primary sponsor
- Annette Cleveland (D)
- Mark Schoesler (R)
- Wilson, Jeff (R, 19)
Latest actions
- : Effective date 6/11/2026.
- : Chapter 112, 2026 Laws.
- : Governor signed.
- : Delivered to Governor.
- : Speaker signed.
- : President signed.
- : Third reading, passed; yeas, 94; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 4.
- : Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- : Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.
- : Referred to Rules 2 Review.
Votes
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (March 4, 2026): 94 yea, 0 nay, passed
- House Committee on Appropriations: Do pass (February 27, 2026): 28 yea, 0 nay, passed
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (February 4, 2026): 49 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care: Do pass (January 22, 2026): 11 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
Common questions
- What is SB6103?
- SB6103 is a bill in the Washington Legislature (2025-26 Regular Session): Rural hospital payments.
- What does SB6103 do?
- In its own words: An act Relating to making payments for services provided by a rural emergency hospital subject to appropriation; and amending RCW 74.09.5225.
- What is the status of SB6103?
- Signed into law as of March 18, 2026. Latest action: Effective date 6/11/2026. (March 18, 2026).
- Who sponsored SB6103?
- Ron Muzzall (R), with 3 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for SB6103?
- On the Washington Legislature website: https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6103&Year=2025
Source: official Washington record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.