Dear friends and neighbors,
As we move through week four in the 2014 Legislative Session, it is hard to believe that we are almost to the halfway mark. Being accessible to constituents is extremely important to me so last week I was pleased to meet with Grand Ridge Elementary students, the Maple Valley City Council, Riverview, Issaquah and Enumclaw school districts and many others.
Health Care Cost Transparency: Know the Costs before You Go
Senate Bill 6228 would require health insurance providers to clearly display on their websites the estimated costs along with quality of care and patient reviews. I’m confident that giving consumers access to health care cost information will help them to take an active role in keeping health care costs down for everyone. The bill should be voted out of committee on Thursday, February 6th with bipartisan support.
Fishing Line Recovery: Protecting Washington’s Waterways
It was a pleasure having constituents come down to testify on Senate Bill 6080, which would create a pilot program to collect fishing line so that it may be recycled. I’m hopeful that the bill will be passed out of committee by the deadline on Friday, February 7th.
Good Samaritan Law for Epinephrine Use: Ensuring Immunity during Allergic Emergencies
18 states, not including Washington, have laws that explicitly provide civil immunity for people who administer epinephrine shots to someone experiencing an allergic reaction. We need to make sure people don’t hesitate in an emergency because they are worried about legal issues. This bill is being heard today, February 4th and I hope that it will be passed from committee on Friday, February 7th like my other legislation.
Please feel free to contact my office at any time. I look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
Mark
