Bill
SB 5335
Establish a Rural Nursing Education Program at DOH to train and retain nurses for rural Washington, with remote/onsite training and supports to improve rural care.
Bill number: SB 5335
Primary subject(s): (a) Earlier 2023 version — “Washington health trust” (universal health financing); (b) 2025 substitute — establishment of a Rural Nursing Education Program (current substantive version)
Introduced: 01/12/2023 (earlier version); 01/17/2025 (current)
Recent status (selected): 02/04/2025 — Senate Health & Long‑Term Care adopted 1st SUBSTITUTE (do pass) and referred to Ways & Means; public hearing in Ways & Means 02/26/2025.
Note on versions: SB 5335 has had substantially different subject matter across sessions. The 2023 text proposed creation of a statewide “Washington health trust” for universal nonprofit health financing. The 2025 substitute (the active bill now in committee) instead establishes a Rural Nursing Education Program within the Department of Health. This summary focuses on the 2025 substitute (current substantive text) and briefly outlines the earlier 2023 health‑trust proposal for context.
Purpose
- Create a statewide Rural Nursing Education Program to expand and sustain pre‑licensure nursing education for students who intend to live and work in rural Washington, addressing shortages at rural hospitals and other rural care sites.
Key provisions
- Establishes the program within the Washington State Department of Health.
- Definitions: “rural” (areas with nursing shortages), “participant” (student admitted to the program), “participating hospital” (rural hospitals), etc.
- Department duties include:
- Developing participant selection criteria (including intent to serve in rural areas).
- Creating an application process in collaboration with rural hospitals, institutions of higher education, workforce partners, tribal systems, WS Board of Nursing, hospital association, and unions.
- Designing distance/remote “grow‑your‑own” nursing education models (initially focused on associate degree pre‑licensure education), using remote simulation and tailored clinical experiences.
- Addressing barriers (childcare, transportation, broadband access, etc.) and providing support services to help participants learn, live, and work in rural communities.
- Duties for participating rural hospitals and higher education institutions:
- Recruit eligible employees/students, coordinate outreach, and establish program cohorts and tailored clinical placements.
- Reporting:
- Preliminary report due to legislature by Nov 1, 2026 on program demographics and training participants.
- Biennial outcome reports starting Nov 1, 2028, including participants, completions, employment in rural settings, preceptor numbers, retention metrics, and program evaluation.
- Effective date and emergency declaration are included in the substitute (accelerating implementation).
Who is affected
- Rural students seeking nursing degrees, rural hospitals and clinics (including critical access hospitals), institutions of higher education delivering nursing programs, clinical preceptors and faculty, tribal health systems, and rural patients/communities that rely on local nursing staff.
Potential impact and considerations
- Expected to strengthen the rural nursing pipeline, increase retention of locally trained RNs, reduce reliance on travel nurses, and improve rural access to nursing care.
- Realized benefits depend on funding (bill referred to Ways & Means for budgetary review), successful collaboration with educational and clinical partners, and ability to mitigate barriers (childcare, transport, broadband).
Purpose (2023 draft)
- Create a single nonprofit state health financing entity called the Washington Health Trust to provide comprehensive essential health benefits (medical, dental, vision, prescription drugs, behavioral health, etc.) to all state residents without premiums, deductibles, copays, or medical bills.
Key elements (selected)
- Universal eligibility for state residents; participating provider network; non‑discrimination protections; board of trustees; community health access reimbursement model; providers accepting Trust payment as payment in full; preservation of tribal sovereignty over allocated tribal health funding.
Status
- That 2023 draft was an earlier session’s proposal and is distinct from the current substitute under consideration.
If you’d like, I can: (1) prepare a side‑by‑side comparison of the 2023 health‑trust text vs. the 2025 substitute; (2) extract the bill’s exact reporting metrics and proposed timelines; or (3) produce a one‑page brief tailored for rural hospital administrators.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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