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SB5579 • 2026

Health/contract terminations

Prohibiting health carriers, facilities, and providers from making any public statements of any potential or planned contract terminations unless it satisfies a legal obligation.

Healthcare
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Senator Cleveland, Senator Muzzall, Senator Valdez
Last action
2025-03-10
Official status
S subst for
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Health/contract terminations

Health/contract terminations

What This Bill Does

  • Health/contract terminations

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

ADOPTED AND ENGROSSED

Plain English: 5579-S AMH ENGR H2102.E SSB 5579 - H COMM AMD By Committee on Health Care & Wellness ADOPTED AND ENGROSSED 04/10/2025 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "NEW SECTION.

  • 5579-S AMH ENGR H2102.E SSB 5579 - H COMM AMD By Committee on Health Care & Wellness ADOPTED AND ENGROSSED 04/10/2025 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "NEW SECTION.
  • Sec.
  • 1.
  • The legislature finds that public 3 communications and notices to health plan members by carriers, health 4 care providers, or health care facilities during contract 5 negotiations have created concerns for enrollees, patients, and 6 affected communities.
5579-S AMH HCW H2102.2

0 • Health Care & Wellness

ADOPTED AS AMENDED

Plain English: 5579-S AMH HCW H2102.2 SSB 5579 - H COMM AMD By Committee on Health Care & Wellness ADOPTED AS AMENDED 04/10/2025 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "NEW SECTION.

  • 5579-S AMH HCW H2102.2 SSB 5579 - H COMM AMD By Committee on Health Care & Wellness ADOPTED AS AMENDED 04/10/2025 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "NEW SECTION.
  • Sec.
  • 1.
  • The legislature finds that public 3 communications and notices to health plan members by carriers, health 4 care providers, or health care facilities during contract 5 negotiations have created concerns for enrollees, patients, and 6 affected communities.
5579-S AMH BRON WEIK 048

954 • Bronoske

ADOPTED

Plain English: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 5579-S AMH BRON WEIK 048 1 - Official Print EFFECT: Expands the exemption from the bill's public statement prohibitions for provider contracts expiring or being terminated by an independent individual provider to also include provider contracts expiring or being terminated by independent single- specialty or multi-specialty group practices of five or fewer providers.

  • 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 5579-S AMH BRON WEIK 048 1 - Official Print EFFECT: Expands the exemption from the bill's public statement prohibitions for provider contracts expiring or being terminated by an independent individual provider to also include provider contracts expiring or being terminated by independent single- specialty or multi-specialty group practices of five or fewer providers.
  • 5579-S AMH BRON WEIK 048 SSB 5579 - H AMD TO HCW COMM AMD (H-2102.2/25) 954 By Representative Bronoske ADOPTED 04/10/2025 On page 3, beginning on line 29 of the striking amendment, after "by an" strike all material through "reason" on line 31 and insert "independent individual provider or an independent single-specialty or multi-specialty group practice of five or fewer providers, whether due to a provider’s retirement or some other reason.
  • For purposes of this subsection, “independent” means a provider that is not employed by or affiliated with a hospital or multi-hospital health system" --- END
5579-S AMH BRON WEIK 049

962 • Bronoske

ADOPTED

Plain English: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 5579-S AMH BRON WEIK 049 1 - Official Print EFFECT: Delays the date that the bill's requirements must be included in all provider contracts to January 1, 2027.

  • 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 5579-S AMH BRON WEIK 049 1 - Official Print EFFECT: Delays the date that the bill's requirements must be included in all provider contracts to January 1, 2027.
  • 5579-S AMH BRON WEIK 049 SSB 5579 - H AMD TO HCW COMM AMD (H-2102.2/25) 962 By Representative Bronoske ADOPTED 04/10/2025 On page 2, line 32 of the striking amendment, after "January 1," strike "2026" and insert "2027" --- END

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-10 Senate

    1st substitute bill substituted.

Official Summary Text

Health/contract terminations

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
AN ACT Relating to prohibiting health carriers, facilities, and 1
providers from making any public statements of any potential or 2
planned contract terminations unless it satisfies a legal obligation; 3
and adding a new section to chapter 48.43 RCW. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 48.43 6
RCW to read as follows: 7
(1) In the case of a provider contract, as defined in RCW 8
48.43.730, that is expiring by its own terms or for which one party 9
has given notice to the other party of an intended termination in 10
accordance with the terms of the provider contract, neither the 11
provider, as defined in RCW 48.43.730, nor the carrier may make or 12
cause to be made public statements, including by directly 13
communicating with impacted individuals including enrollees and 14
patients, regarding such expiration or termination, unless:15
(a) Such disclosure is to satisfy a legal obligation; or16
(b) The expiration or termination has already been disclosed 17
publicly because of a legal obligation. 18
(2) The attorney general may enforce this section under the 19
consumer protection act, chapter 19.86 RCW. For actions brought by 20
the attorney general to enforce this section, the legislature finds 21
S-0890.1
SENATE BILL 5579
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Cleveland, Muzzall, and Valdez
Read first time 01/30/25. Referred to Committee on Health & Long-
Term Care.
p. 1 SB 5579
that the practices covered by this section are matters vitally 1
affecting the public interest for the purpose of applying the 2
consumer protection act, chapter 19.86 RCW, and that a violation of 3
this section is not reasonable in relation to the development and 4
preservation of business and is an unfair or deceptive act in trade 5
or commerce and an unfair method of competition for the purpose of 6
applying the consumer protection act, chapter 19.86 RCW.7
--- END ---
p. 2 SB 5579