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Nursing schools, hospitals clash with Board of Nursing over bill to accept national accreditation
Summary
House Bill 24‑98 prompted extensive testimony from community colleges, private colleges, hospitals and the Washington State Board of Nursing. Supporters said reliance on national accreditation would speed program approvals and address shortages; opponents warned that removing state oversight risks patient safety and urged completing current WAC rule revisions first.
Saranda Ross told the committee HB 24‑98 would require the Washington State Board of Nursing to provide technical assistance to programs with NCLEX pass rates below 80%, expedite approval of nationally accredited nursing programs, and prohibit the board from requiring standards beyond those of national accreditors.
Rep. Entenmann, sponsor of the bill, framed the measure as a response to local experience with decertification and barriers that can impede program recovery. "We have standards that we know must be met," he said, but added that some requirements may impose unintended barriers as community demographics change.
Proponents from community and technical colleges and several college presidents urged the committee to reduce duplication between state approval and national accreditation so programs can expand to meet workforce needs in rural and underserved areas. Tim Stokes, president of South Puget Sound Community College, argued WACs and Board practices have at times exceeded statutory authority and slowed program growth, contributing to shortages.
Opponents included Allison Brady Wood, executive director of the Washington State Board of Nursing, who testified the board supports streamlining but opposes HB 24‑98 as written. "Our concerns stem from this introducing four different standards of nursing education," she said, arguing that national accreditation does not replace enforceable state approval and that 47 states require both approval and accreditation. Dr. AJ Mendoza, a tenured nursing faculty member, stressed the board’s role in protecting public safety and responding to local clinical realities.
Hospitals and employer representatives, including Providence North Division’s chief nursing officer Renee Rasler Bohmers, warned that removing state oversight could create patient‑safety and liability risks. Industry and educator groups such as the Council on Nursing Education in Washington and Clinical Placements Northwest urged caution and urged allowing the board’s ongoing WAC revision process to finish.
Committee members pressed the Board about rulemaking progress; the board said it has decreased turnaround times on approvals and is conducting frequent workshops and a public redline draft. The public hearing closed with the committee encouraging continued collaboration; no committee action was taken on the bill at this meeting.
