FINAL BILL REPORT

2SSB 5672

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

PARTIAL VETO

C 466 L 19

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Concerning adult family home specialty services.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Cleveland, O'Ban, Walsh, Wellman, Darneille, Dhingra, Hunt, Keiser, Frockt, Kuderer, Nguyen and Saldaña).

Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

House Committee on Health Care & Wellness

House Committee on Appropriations

Background: Individuals with developmental disabilities and older adults having long-term care needs may receive services from the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). DSHS administers the state's Medicaid long-term care program. To qualify for the program, an individual must meet certain functional and financial criteria. An individual may receive long-term care in their own home, an assisted living facility, an adult day center, an adult family home, or a skilled nursing facility. DSHS contracts with adult family homes to provide personal care services to Medicaid long-term services and supports clients. DSHS and the adult family homes' exclusive bargaining representative collectively bargain every two years to establish the adult family home contract.

An adult family home is a residential home that provides personal care, specialty care, necessary supervision, laundry, and room and board for up to six adults who need long-term care. DSHS licenses and regulates adult family homes, which includes verifying staff of adult family homes meet certain training requirements. Adult family home providers or resident managers must complete 75 hours of training before providing care to residents and 12 hours of continuing education each year. Staff of adult family homes serving individuals with dementia, developmental disabilities, or mental health needs are required to take a specialty training course for each of these conditions. Each course is six to twenty hours. Once all of the adult family home's staff have completed the specialty training course, the adult family home receives a specialty designation.

Summary: By June 1, 2020, the Developmental Disabilities Administration within DSHS must work with stakeholders to design and implement services for individuals living in adult family homes that exclusively serve individuals who have a primary need of care related to developmental disabilities.

By June 1, 2020, the Aging and Long-Term Support Administration within DSHS must work with stakeholders to design and implement services for individuals living in adult family homes that are dedicated solely to the care of individuals with dementia.

The services must be:

If DSHS contracts with any adult family home to provide personal care services, and the adult family home is represented by an exclusive bargaining representative, the staff training required for all adult family homes must be available through an adult family home training network beginning July 1, 2020. Adult family home training network means a nonprofit organization established by the adult family homes' exclusive bargaining representative with the capacity to provide training, workforce development, and other services to adult family homes.

Funding for the adult family home training network must be provided through a vendor contract with DSHS. The parties to the adult family home collective bargaining agreement are required to negotiate a memorandum of understanding for contributions to the adult family home training network. Contributions to the training network must begin no sooner than January 1, 2020. For fiscal year 2021, the funding must be within the amount appropriated for the 2019-2021 collective bargaining agreement. The adult family home training network must provide the necessary reports to DSHS to verify providers have complied with all training requirements.

DSHS is required to report to the appropriate legislative committees on the status of the adult family home training network by December 1, 2020.

The establishment of the adult family home training network does not:

Changes are made to the terminology related to competency challenge tests.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate

48

0

House

98

0

(House amended)

Senate

31

17

(Senate concurred)

Effective:

July 28, 2019

Partial Veto Summary: