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Bill

SB 5400

Concerning actions by health professions disciplining authorities against license applicants and license holders.

2023-2024 Regular Session Introduced by Andy Billig and 16 co-sponsors

Creates a Washington local news grant program to fund journalists covering civic affairs in underserved communities, tied to hours worked and staffing thresholds.

By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
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Bill Summary · SB 5400

Bill Summary — SB 5400

Overview

SB 5400 has appeared in multiple forms across sessions. The 2023 version (original SB 5400) addressed discipline by health-profession licensing authorities relating to reproductive health care and gender-affirming treatment. In the 2025 session the bill was repurposed: the current (substitute) SB 5400 establishes a state grant program to support local news journalism. This summary focuses on the active 2025 version while also noting the earlier 2023 health‑care discipline language.

Purpose (2025 substitute)

Create a Washington local news grant program to sustain and grow employment of journalists covering civic affairs in underserved communities, strengthen ethnic/local media, and preserve local reporting capacity.

Key provisions (2025 substitute)

  • Establishes the “Washington local news sustainability” or “local news journalism corps” program within the department (chapter 43.330 RCW). The director makes grants to eligible applicants.
  • Grants must be used to support employment of news journalists who cover civic affairs in underserved communities.
  • Grant amounts are proportional to hours worked by journalists, as reported to the Employment Security Department.
  • Applicants must apply in a form set by the director and provide progress and final reports (including information on news coverage supported).
  • The department may consult civic‑affairs and local news leaders when designing the program, may adopt implementing rules, and may share data with the Employment Security Department and the Department of Revenue to implement the program.
  • Definitions specify eligibility and terms, including:
    • “News journalist”: person employed an average of at least 30 hours/week per quarter and engaged in producing original local/regional news content.
    • “Eligible broadcaster”: FCC‑licensed outlets meeting editorial and content‑frequency tests.
    • “Eligible publisher” / “qualifying publication”: includes newspapers (monthly or more frequent) and qualifying digital news services that perform a public information function comparable to traditional newspapers.
  • Employment threshold: generally applicants must have employed at least three news journalists in Washington per quarter in the four prior quarters. A narrower exception exists for entities with sustained two‑journalist staffing over eight quarters. Certain newspapers may qualify without meeting the staffing threshold.

Who is affected

  • Eligible news organizations (publishers, broadcasters, qualifying digital outlets) and journalists in Washington state.
  • State agencies involved in administration and verification: the department named in chapter 43.330 RCW, Employment Security Department, and Department of Revenue.
  • Indirectly: communities that receive increased local reporting; state budget appropriations will determine fiscal impact.

Implementation & Administration

  • The department administers grants, adopts rules, and requires reporting from grantees.
  • Data sharing between agencies is authorized to verify employment and allocate grant amounts.

Legislative status and actions (selected)

  • Introduced: 01/21/2025 (1st reading; referred to Labor & Commerce).
  • Committee actions: public hearings (01/28/2025, 02/14/2025), LC committee approved a 1st substitute and recommended do pass (majority) on 02/14/2025; a minority report recommended do not pass (02/18/2025); referred to Senate Ways & Means (public hearing 03/18/2025).
  • Earlier (2023) version: first reading 01/16/2023; referred to Health & Long Term Care. The 2023 text would have limited disciplining authority actions regarding provision of reproductive and gender‑affirming care (amendments to RCW 18.130.055 and 18.130.180) but that language was later supplanted.

Potential impacts

  • Supports hiring/retention of local journalists, especially in underserved and ethnic media outlets, potentially improving civic reporting and oversight.
  • Fiscal impact depends on appropriations and program scale; grants are tied to reported journalist hours, requiring administrative verification.
  • Creates reporting and compliance obligations for grantees and data‑sharing among state agencies.

(If you want, I can produce a side‑by‑side comparison of the 2023 health‑care discipline language and the 2025 journalism substitute, or track amendments and fiscal notes.)

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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