February 3, 2011
The legislative session is in full swing and Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater welcome thousands of people who come to the capitol to testify and meet with legislators. The out-of-town visitors patronize our restaurants and other local businesses, adding to the local economy. And, of course, many local people take time to be involved in the legislative process. We have one of the most beautiful capitol campuses in the country. I hope you find time to visit the campus, even if you do not have a burning legislative issue.
Bills of interest
This week, the House State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee approved three of my bills.
HB 1079 would bring conformity to the state’s election laws by requiring that all counties conduct elections by mail. Currently 38 of 39 counties vote by mail; this requires us to maintain two sets of election laws on the books and raises the possibility that the state may be out of compliance with federal rules that states have uniform voting procedures.
HB 1179 clarifies state law that state employees are allowed to meet with their legislators in state buildings. The Executive Ethics Board staff has repeatedly said that this cannot happen because the state employees might lobby a legislator. Twenty-second district legislators have had to cancel pre-session lunch time briefings at several state agencies because of this. The bill merely clarifies that such meetings are allowed.
HB 1202 would allow a limited pilot program to provide spirits tasting at 30 state liquor stores. The tastings would be limited to in-store and no more than four ¼ ounce tastings per event. Liquor distributors would have to buy the products used in the sampling from the state liquor store.
These and other bills will move to the House Rules Committee or to one of the fiscal (budget-related) committees for further consideration before becoming eligible for action by the full House.
Health insurance – with no waiting period
The Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan-Washington State (PCIP-WA) is the temporary federal high risk pool created as part of the new federal health reform law, the Affordable Care Act. PCIP-WA provides a new health insurance option to eligible individuals with pre-existing conditions who have been uninsured for at least six months – with no waiting period.
In order to receive insurance through the temporary high risk pool program, an individual must meet the following criteria established by law. Eligible individuals must:
– Be a citizen – an enrollee must be a resident of Washington, a citizen or national of the United States or lawfully present in the United States;
– Be uninsured – an enrollee must have not been covered under creditable coverage for the previous 6 months before applying for coverage; and
– Have a pre-existing condition – an individual must have a qualifying pre-existing condition or a denial letter from an insurance carrier or a letter of acceptance with a reduction or exclusion of coverage for the pre-existing condition.
For more information, click here:
In This Issue
Update on my bills
Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan
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