OLYMPIA -- A committee vote on a bill to allow Washington State University to start its own medical school was delayed this morning until next Tuesday.

Committee Chairman Drew Hansen, D-Bainbridge Island, cancelled all action on bills that have already had hearings so the panel could take testimony on bills that haven't.

HB 1559, which would change state law that only allows the University of Washington to offer medical education, was on the list of bills that would get a vote on whether to be sent to the full House. The medical school bill had four possible amendments the committee pending from Vice Chairman Jerry Pollett, D-Seattle, that involved studying ways to address the causes of the doctor shortage in some parts of Washington or banning WSU from using any money originally appropriated for the UW multi-state medical education program in Spokane. 

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane, said there is a minor rewrite that changes some language in the bill to say WSU board of regents may start a medical school rather than it must. But he expects the Pollett amendments won't be approved by the committee and the bill will move to the full House, where it has 64 others signed on as co-sponsors.

Action on the bill is tentatively scheduled for the committee's hearing at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

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