---
type: "Bill"
title: "Requiring coverage for hearing instruments under public employee and medicaid programs."
description: "Requiring coverage for hearing instruments under public employee and medicaid programs."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2017-2018"
identifier: "SB 5179"
citation: "Washington SB 5179 (2017-2018)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["HEALTH CARE", "HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY", "PUBLIC ASSISTANCE"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bailey"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 55
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2017-01-16"
last_action: "2018-03-21"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/b2fccbfd-16e6-4d51-a262-1c9aa286bc7c"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5179&year=2017"
source_hash: "be38d98e6657a3ee261b7d0c0134767c54842a18595ee738f1c5b35897a1274b"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-wa"]
---

# Washington SB 5179 (2017-2018) — Requiring coverage for hearing instruments under public employee and medicaid programs.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2017-18/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5179.htm)
2. **Engrossed Second Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2017-18/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5179-S2.E.htm)
3. **Second Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2017-18/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5179-S2.htm)
4. **Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2017-18/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5179-S.htm)

## Votes

- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#5) — **80–18** (pass) · lower
- Adoption of Amendment Number 79 by Senator Van De Wege, on Page 2, Line 20 (#18) — **24–25** (fail) · upper
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#7) — **48–0** (pass) · upper
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#19) — **49–0** (pass) · upper
- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#5) — **49–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Bailey — primary (person)
- Conway — cosponsor (person)
- Hasegawa — cosponsor (person)
- Keiser — cosponsor (person)
- Palumbo — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2017-01-16** First reading, referred to Health Care. `reading-1`
- **2017-02-02** HLTH - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2017-02-02** And refer to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2017-02-03** Referred to Ways & Means.
- **2017-02-24** WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2017-02-24** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2017-03-01** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2017-03-06** 2nd substitute bill substituted. `substitution`
- **2017-02-02** HLTH - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2017-02-02** And refer to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2017-02-03** Referred to Ways & Means.
- **2017-02-24** WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2017-02-24** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2017-03-01** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2017-03-06** 2nd substitute bill substituted. `substitution`
- **2017-02-24** WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2017-02-24** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2017-03-01** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2017-03-06** 2nd substitute bill substituted. `substitution`
- **2017-03-06** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2017-03-06** Third reading, passed; yeas, 49; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2017-03-08** First reading, referred to Health Care & Wellness (Not Officially read and referred until adoption of Introduction report). `reading-1`
- **2017-03-22** HCW - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).
- **2017-03-22** Minority; do not pass.
- **2017-03-24** Referred to Appropriations.
- **2017-04-23** By resolution, returned to Senate Rules Committee for third reading.
- **2017-04-23** Placed on Rules White Sheet.
- **2017-04-24** By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
- **2017-05-23** By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
- **2017-06-21** By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
- **2018-01-08** By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
- **2018-01-17** Placed on third reading by Rules Committee.
- **2018-01-19** Returned to second reading for amendment.
- **2018-01-19** Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- **2018-01-19** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2018-01-19** Third reading, passed; yeas, 48; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 1. `reading-3`
- **2018-01-23** First reading, referred to Health Care & Wellness (Not Officially read and referred until adoption of Introduction report). `reading-1`
- **2018-02-16** HCW - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).
- **2018-02-16** Minority; do not pass.
- **2018-02-20** Referred to Appropriations.
- **2018-02-26** APP - Majority; do pass with amendment(s) by Health Care & Wellness.
- **2018-02-26** Minority; do not pass.
- **2018-02-26** Referred to Rules 2 Review.
- **2018-02-27** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2018-02-28** Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.
- **2018-02-28** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2018-02-28** Third reading, passed; yeas, 80; nays, 18; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2018-03-05** Senate concurred in House amendments.
- **2018-03-05** Passed final passage; yeas, 49; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 0. `passage`
- **2018-03-07** President signed. `passage`
- **2018-03-08** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2018-03-09** Delivered to Governor.
- **2018-03-21** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2018-03-21** Chapter 159, 2018 Laws. `became-law`
- **2018-03-21** Effective date 6/7/2018. `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/b2fccbfd-16e6-4d51-a262-1c9aa286bc7c`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).