We had successful public hearings last week. Now is the time to ask the healthcare committees in both the House and Senate to vote YES at their executive sessions and move the bills out of their committees.

Please take the following steps to email the healthcare committee members and ask their YES votes on the bills!

1. Email your letter of support to each member of the HLTC committee

1. Compose your testimony by using the example filling in the green blanks
2. Email your message to two separate committees by the end of Fri. 2/3/23 as follows:

1. For the House Health & Wellness committee: Email your letter and the bill flyer (downloadable from here)  to the entire committee (17 members) in one email (a list of the email addresses is in the below) and cc the TF team at wamusictherapytf@gmail.com

2. For the Senate Health & Long-Term committee; Email your letter and the bill flyer (downloadable from here) to the entire committee (10 members) in one email (a list of the email addresses is in the below) and cc the TF team at wamusictherapytf@gmail.com

– Email Message Example –

Subject: Please Vote YES on HB 1247/SB 5214 - Music Therapist Licensure

For HB 1247 (House bill):

Dear Chairman Riccelli and members of the House Health Care & Wellness Committee,

For SB 5214 (Senate bill):

Dear Madam Chair Cleveland and members of the Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee,

I am emailing you to seek your support for HB 1247/SB 5214 to pass through the Health & Wellness Committee/ Health & Long-Term Care Committee.  I’ve attached my letter of support. Thank you for your time and consideration,

Your Name, credential/position, City

WA Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee Members

WA House Health Care & Wellness Committee Members

Date

RE: HB 1247/SB 5214

For HB 1247 (House bill):

Dear Chairman Riccelli and members of the House Health Care & Wellness Committee,

For SB 5214 (Senate bill):

Dear Madam Chair Cleveland and members of the Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee,

My name is _________________ and I am a Board Certified Music Therapist working in

Washington. (Provide information about where you work in WA how many facilities you currently serve in WA, and how many clients you serve in WA in a typical year. Provide an example of how music therapy has made a difference for your clients.)

I ask you to please support HB 1247/SB 5214, which will create a music therapy licensure. This bill is needed:

TO PROTECT Washington residents from harm by ensuring that all individuals calling themselves music therapists in our state meet national standards for education, clinical training, certification, and continuing education.

TO IMPROVE access to music therapy services for Washington residents by allowing institutions who require state recognition to provide music therapy services.

TO ADDRESS the confusion for healthcare facilities and Washington residents regarding the difference between music therapists, music practitioners, music thanatologists, and other non-music therapy musicians in healthcare. This bill does not prohibit other professionals from using music in their practice.

Provide an example of why you support this licensure bill from your professional standpoint.  Also please provide examples of harm you have seen and/or consumer/facility confusion due to lack of licensure in WA--have you heard of a facility claiming to have MT when they really had music volunteers? Have you seen potential harm occur when a music volunteer and/or untrained non-credentialed person used music? A state license will provide employers with personnel who are trained, equipped, and held to high standards of ethics and professional practice, and who demonstrate competency through board certification and continuing education activities.

I urge you to vote YES for HB 1247/SB 5214. Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

Full name

Address

Phone

Email