SB 6360
In CommitteeSenate
Family medicine residency
Establishing the family medicine residency training grant program.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill creates a grant program to expand family medicine residency training at community health centers in underserved areas of Washington, aiming to increase the number of physicians practicing primary care in those communities. It funds the program with up to $7 million annually from tobacco tax revenue and allows private contributions, while also updating state accounting rules to support the new account.
- Creates a family medicine residency training grant program administered by the Washington state department of health to support family medicine residencies at community health centers in rural or urban medically underserved areas.
- Requires grant recipients to offer at least two first-year, two second-year, and two third-year family medicine residency positions in each of their respective years of operation.
- Establishes the family medicine residency training account, funded primarily by tobacco tax revenue (up to $7 million annually) and private contributions, to pay for residency program grants and administrative costs.
- Requires the joint legislative audit and review committee to conduct a performance audit of the program by December 31, 2033, and every five years thereafter, including an analysis of where graduates choose to practice.
- Amends existing law to include the new account in the list of accounts that receive investment earnings from the state treasurer’s trust fund, ensuring it earns interest like other trust accounts.
Who is affected
- Community health centers — Community health centers in rural or urban medically underserved areas that may apply for and receive grants to establish or expand family medicine residency programs, enabling them to train more residents and potentially retain more physicians in underserved areas.
- Medical residents and students — Medical students and residents who may gain access to residency positions at community health centers, especially those committed to practicing primary care in underserved areas.
- Residents of underserved communities — Residents of rural and urban underserved communities who may benefit from increased access to primary care providers due to more family medicine physicians training and practicing locally.
- General public / tobacco consumers — State taxpayers and tobacco product purchasers, as the bill redirects a portion of tobacco tax revenue to fund the residency program.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (5)
Does not require general fund appropriation and is designed to be self-sustaining via private contributions and tobacco tax deposits — limiting direct fiscal burden on state taxpayers.
FinancialRef: Sec. 4(1), Sec. 5(3)Allows private contributions to fund the program, potentially expanding resources beyond state tobacco tax revenue and enabling scalable growth if private donors align with the mission.
FinancialRef: Sec. 4(2), Sec. 5(3)Includes investment earnings on the account balance (via Sec. 6/7 amendments), allowing modest growth of the fund over time without additional legislative appropriation.
FinancialRef: Sec. 4(4), Sec. 5(3)Targets underserved areas explicitly — both rural and urban medically underserved communities — aligning with known health disparities and addressing geographic maldistribution of primary care providers.
HealthcareRef: Sec. 2, Sec. 4(3)Mandates a performance audit comparing practice location outcomes of residents trained at community health centers vs. other programs — a strong accountability and evidence-based design feature.
Public SafetyRef: Sec. 3
Potential Concerns (5)
Increases access to primary care in underserved areas by funding family medicine residencies at community health centers, potentially improving preventive care and long-term health outcomes for vulnerable populations.
HealthcarePeopleRef: Sec. 2, Sec. 4(3)Encourages retention of physicians in underserved areas by requiring residency programs to offer at least six positions annually (two per year), which may reduce emergency room overuse and improve chronic disease management — lowering strain on emergency services and public health infrastructure.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 4(2)Diverts up to $7 million annually from tobacco tax revenue — a dedicated public health funding source — into a new grant program, potentially reducing funds available for tobacco cessation, prevention, and related public health initiatives that directly benefit everyday Washingtonians.
FinancialPeopleRef: Sec. 4(1), Sec. 5(3)May create new jobs at community health centers (e.g., faculty, administrative staff, support roles), but the scale is limited: only ~6 residents per grant-funded program × 3+ programs = ~18–24 new resident slots annually, with uncertain long-term retention in underserved areas.
Business & EmploymentLean peopleRef: Sec. 4(4), Sec. 5(3)Creates a new performance audit requirement (due by 2033) to assess whether residency location influences practice location — a valuable evidence-gathering function, but the audit’s impact on policy or outcomes is indirect and uncertain.
EducationLean peopleRef: Sec. 3
Who Is Most Affected
Community health centers in underserved areas may gain new capacity to train residents and retain physicians, but must absorb administrative burden and may face challenges in sustaining programs post-grant if private funding doesn’t materialize.
Medical residents gain training opportunities in high-need areas, but long-term retention in underserved communities depends on loan repayment incentives, housing, and career support — not guaranteed by this bill.
Residents of underserved communities stand to benefit from increased access to primary care, but outcomes depend on whether graduates actually practice locally — which the audit will assess but not guarantee.
Tobacco consumers and general taxpayers see no direct benefit; the reallocation of tobacco tax revenue may weaken existing tobacco-control programs that reduce smoking-related illness and healthcare costs.