This act may be known and cited as the Washington innovates new personal protective equipment act ("WIN PPE").
The legislature finds that Washington has spent more than $300,000,000 on personal protective equipment in the first 10 months of the pandemic, almost exclusively purchased from overseas with significant delays and supply chain problems. The legislature further finds that there has been a strong desire for civic-minded Washington manufacturers to change production lines to produce personal protective equipment for the state and nation. The legislature finds that current purchasing preferences are in place in Washington for products with certain recycled content and other environmental attributes, but there is no purchasing preference to guide state procurement policy as it relates to personal protective equipment. Therefore, the legislature intends that the state take a more active role in creating awareness of the supply of high-quality and innovative personal protective equipment that is available to be purchased locally.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 43.330. Here is the modified chapter for context.
The department must maintain a web page on its website that lists contact information for Washington state producers of personal protective equipment. The website must be maintained for at least 24 months after the expiration of the gubernatorial declaration of emergency of February 29, 2020.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 43.330. Here is the modified chapter for context.
Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall report to the legislature by December 1, 2021, on the following issues related to personal protective equipment:
The extent to which Washington's stockpile of pandemic response supplies are Washington-made;
Documenting challenges with cost, delays, and quality experienced in state procurement of personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic; and
The feasibility and legality of various state procurement preference options for sourcing personal protective equipment in a way that increases our health security, the quality of equipment and its affordability, and certainty of supply during pandemics.
For purposes of this section, "personal protection equipment" means protective clothing, helmets, gloves, face shields, goggles, face masks, and respirators, and other equipment designed to protect the wearer from injury or the spread of infection or illness.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 82.08. Here is the modified chapter for context.
The tax levied by RCW 82.08.020 does not apply to sales of personal protective equipment.
As used in this section, "personal protective equipment" has the meaning provided in section 4(2) of this act.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 82.12. Here is the modified chapter for context.
The provisions of this chapter do not apply in respect to the use of personal protective equipment.
As used in this section, "personal protective equipment" has the meaning provided in section 4(2) of this act.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 82.04. Here is the modified chapter for context.
This chapter does not apply to amounts received by a personal protective equipment manufacturer in respect to the sale of personal protective equipment.
As used in this section, "personal protective equipment" has the meaning provided in section 4(2) of this act.
The provisions of RCW 82.32.805 and 82.32.808 do not apply to this act.