Washington SB 5847: Enhancing prorate and fuel tax collections by improving taxpayer compliance, providing additional enforcement mechanisms, and protecting confidential taxpayer information.

Bill Text

CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
ENGROSSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5847
Chapter 175, Laws of 2026
69th Legislature
2026 Regular Session
WORKERS' COMPENSATION—MEDICAL CARE—VARIOUS PROVISIONS
EFFECTIVE DATE: June 11, 2026—Except for sections 2 and 5, which
take effect January 1, 2028; and section 4, which takes effect June
30, 2027.
Passed by the Senate March 10, 2026
Yeas 30 Nays 19
DENNY HECK
President of the Senate
Passed by the House March 6, 2026
Yeas 67 Nays 28
LAURIE JINKINS
Speaker of the House of
Representatives
CERTIFICATE
I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of
the Senate of the State of
Washington, do hereby certify that
the attached is ENGROSSED SECOND
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5847 as
passed by the Senate and the House
of Representatives on the dates
hereon set forth.
SARAH BANNISTER
Secretary
Approved March 24, 2026 10:30 AM FILED
March 25, 2026
BOB FERGUSON
Governor of the State of Washington
Secretary of State
State of Washington

AN ACT Relating to access to medical care in workers' 1
compensation; amending RCW 51.08.200, 51.36.010, 51.36.010, 2
51.36.010, and 43.88.180; adding a new section to chapter 51.36 RCW; 3
adding a new section to chapter 51.44 RCW; creating new sections; 4
providing effective dates; and providing expiration dates.5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:6
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 51.36 7
RCW to read as follows:8
It is the intent of the legislature to increase access to medical 9
treatment in workers' compensation including, but not limited to, 10
making individualized determinations as to whether treatment for 11
workplace injuries and occupational diseases is proper and necessary.12
Sec. 2. RCW 51.08.200 and 2023 c 171 s 2 are each amended to 13
read as follows:14
"Attending provider" means a person who is ((a)): (1) A member of 15
the health care provider network established under RCW 51.36.010((, 16
is)) or a person who is not a member of the health care provider 17
network for claims where they are treating a worker under the 18
conditions in RCW 51.36.010(2)(g)(i) (A) or (B); (2) treating injured 19
workers within the person's scope of practice((,)); and ((is)) (3) 20
ENGROSSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5847
AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
Passed Legislature - 2026 Regular Session
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senate Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Saldaña,
Harris, Alvarado, Trudeau, Bateman, Conway, Hasegawa, Lovelett,
Nobles, Orwall, Riccelli, Shewmake, Stanford, Valdez, and C. Wilson)
READ FIRST TIME 02/09/26.
p. 1 E2SSB 5847.SL

licensed under Title 18 RCW in one of the following professions: 1
Physicians, chapter 18.71 RCW; osteopathy, chapter 18.57 RCW; 2
chiropractic, chapter 18.25 RCW; naturopathy, chapter 18.36A RCW; 3
podiatric medicine and surgery, chapter 18.22 RCW; dentistry, chapter 4
18.32 RCW; optometry, chapter 18.53 RCW; in the case of claims solely 5
for mental health conditions, psychology, chapter 18.83 RCW; 6
physician assistants, chapter 18.71A RCW; and licensed advanced 7
registered nurse practitioners, chapter 18.79 RCW.8
Sec. 3. RCW 51.36.010 and 2023 c 171 s 9 are each amended to 9
read as follows:10
(1)(a) The legislature finds that high quality medical treatment 11
and adherence to occupational health best practices can prevent 12
disability and reduce loss of family income for workers, and lower 13
labor and insurance costs for employers. Injured workers deserve high 14
quality medical care in accordance with current health care best 15
practices. To this end, the department shall establish minimum 16
standards for providers who treat workers from both state fund and 17
self-insured employers. The department shall establish a health care 18
provider network to treat injured workers, and shall accept providers 19
into the network who meet those minimum standards. The department 20
shall convene an advisory group made up of representatives from or 21
designees of the workers' compensation advisory committee and the 22
industrial insurance medical and chiropractic advisory committees to 23
consider and advise the department related to implementation of this 24
section, including development of best practices treatment guidelines 25
for providers in the network. The department shall also seek the 26
input of various health care provider groups and associations 27
concerning the network's implementation.28
(b) Network providers must ((be required to)), when medically 29
appropriate, follow the department's evidence-based coverage 30
decisions and treatment guidelines, policies, and must ((be expected 31
to)), when medically appropriate, follow other national treatment 32
guidelines appropriate for their patient. The department, in 33
collaboration with the advisory group, shall also establish 34
additional best practice standards for providers to qualify for a 35
second tier within the network, based on demonstrated use of 36
occupational health best pra