wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > SB 6360 > Original Bill
The legislature finds that due to a shortage of primary care physicians, many rural and economically disadvantaged urban communities are medically underserved.
The legislature further finds that the Washington state department of health has established individuals living in rural areas of Washington state are more likely to suffer from preventable conditions and engage in activities that threaten health, such as smoking cigarettes, and according to the United States centers for disease control and prevention, communities of color, who live in greater numbers in underserved urban areas, experience higher rates of obesity, cancer, diabetes, and AIDS.
The legislature finds community health centers provide valuable primary and preventive health care services for people living in rural and urban medically underserved communities, and such service is provided regardless of a patient's ability to pay.
The legislature further finds prevention education and access to consistent primary health care can reduce health care costs in the long term and improve general productivity.
Consequently, it is to the benefit of not only underserved communities but the state as a whole to invest in measures that reduce primary care shortages and increase access to health care and preventative medicine.
Within funds appropriated to the department of health for this purpose, and with the goal of increasing the number of family medicine residency positions at community health centers, and thereby increasing the number of family medicine physicians working in underserved settings, a family medicine residency training grant program is created. Grant funds provided for the purpose of increasing the number of family medicine residency positions at community health centers must be disbursed by the department of health to at least three accredited, three-year family medicine residency programs sponsored or sited at community health centers in rural or urban medically underserved areas. In the first year, and each subsequent year thereafter, family medicine residency programs to which the grant funds are awarded shall offer at least two first-year postgraduate residency positions in family medicine. In the second year, and each subsequent year thereafter, these family medicine residency programs shall also offer at least two second-year postgraduate residency positions in family medicine. In the third year, and each subsequent year thereafter, these family medicine residency programs shall also offer at least two third-year postgraduate residency positions in family medicine.
The joint legislative audit and review committee shall conduct a performance audit and evaluation of the family medicine residency training grant program created in section 2 of this act every five years. The first audit must be conducted by December 31, 2033. The audit must include a comparison of family medicine physicians who did their postgraduate family medicine residency training at community health centers with those who did their postgraduate family medicine residency training in other programs to determine whether the location of the family medicine residency training influenced or affected where the resident ultimately chose to work.
The family medicine residency training account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. No appropriation is required for expenditures of funds from the account. The account is not subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW except for moneys used for program administration.
The department of health shall deposit into the account all moneys received from private contributions for the program. The account must be self-sustaining and consist of private contributions for the family medicine residency training grant program.
Expenditures from the account may be used solely for grants to family medicine residency programs sponsored or sited in community health centers in rural or urban medically underserved areas and costs associated with program administration by the department of health.
Disbursements from the account may be made only on the authorization of the department of health.
There is levied and collected a tax upon the sale, handling, or distribution of all tobacco products in this state at the following rate:
For cigars except little cigars, ninety-five percent of the taxable sales price of cigars, not to exceed sixty-five cents per cigar;
For all tobacco products except those covered under separate provisions of this subsection, ninety-five percent of the taxable sales price. The tax imposed on a product under this subsection must be reduced by fifty percent if that same product is issued a modified risk tobacco product order by the secretary of the United States department of health and human services pursuant to Title 21 U.S.C. Sec. 387k(g)(1), or by twenty-five percent if that same product is issued a modified risk tobacco product order by the secretary of the United States department of health and human services pursuant to Title 21 U.S.C. Sec. 387k(g)(2). The tax reduction applies during the period the modified risk tobacco product order is in effect;
For moist snuff, as established in this subsection (1)(c) and computed on the net weight listed by the manufacturer:
On each single unit consumer-sized can or package whose net weight is one and two-tenths ounces or less, a rate per single unit that is equal to the greater of 2.526 dollars or eighty-three and one-half percent of the cigarette tax under chapter 82.24 RCW multiplied by twenty; or
On each single unit consumer-sized can or package whose net weight is more than one and two-tenths ounces, a proportionate tax at the rate established in (c)(i) of this subsection (1) on each ounce or fractional part of an ounce; and
For little cigars, an amount per cigar equal to the cigarette tax under chapter 82.24 RCW.
Taxes under this section must be imposed at the time the distributor (a) brings, or causes to be brought, into this state from without the state tobacco products for sale, (b) makes, manufactures, fabricates, or stores tobacco products in this state for sale in this state, (c) ships or transports tobacco products to retailers in this state, to be sold by those retailers, or (d) handles for sale any tobacco products that are within this state but upon which tax has not been imposed.
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The first $7,000,000 collected annually under this section must be deposited into the family medicine residency training account created in section 4 of this act.
The remaining moneys collected under this section must be deposited into the state general fund.
(1) Money in the treasurer's trust fund may be deposited, invested, and reinvested by the state treasurer in accordance with RCW 43.84.080 in the same manner and to the same extent as if the money were in the state treasury, and may be commingled with moneys in the state treasury for cash management and cash balance purposes.
(1) Money in the treasurer's trust fund may be deposited, invested, and reinvested by the state treasurer in accordance with RCW 43.84.080 in the same manner and to the same extent as if the money were in the state treasury, and may be commingled with moneys in the state treasury for cash management and cash balance purposes.
Section 6 of this act expires July 1, 2030.
Section 7 of this act takes effect July 1, 2030.