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                                 ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 1479

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State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By House Committee on Social & Health Services (originally sponsored by Representatives Leonard, Crane, Cole, Dellwo, Lewis, Lux, Appelwick, Winsley, Allen, Scott, Jacobsen, Braddock and P. King)

Read first time 2/6/86 and passed to Committee on Rules.

AN ACT Relating to drug treatment centers; amending RCW 69.54.030; adding a new section to chapter 69.54 RCW; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 69.54 RCW to read as follows:

          The department, in consultation with treatment service providers, shall establish state-wide treatment standards for methadone treatment centers no later than December 1, 1986, and shall submit such standards to the legislature in a report for review and consideration prior to the regular session of the legislature in 1987.

        Sec. 2.  Section 3, chapter 304, Laws of 1971 ex. sess. and RCW 69.54.030 are each amended to read as follows:

          Every drug treatment center in this state shall apply to the secretary of social and health services for certification as an approved drug treatment center:  PROVIDED, That after the effective date of this 1986 act, no certifications shall be made until the standards developed by the department shall have been established, pursuant to section 1 of this 1986 act, or until December 1, 1986, whichever is soonest.

          The secretary of social and health services shall issue application forms which shall require the following, where applicable:

          (1) The name and address of the applicant drug treatment center;

          (2) The name of the director or head of such drug treatment center;

          (3) The names of the members of the board of directors or sponsors of such drug treatment center;

          (4) The names and addresses of all physicians affiliated with such drug treatment center;

          (5) A short description of the nature of treatment and/or rehabilitation used by such drug treatment center; and the qualifications of staff to employ such treatment and/or rehabilitation methods;

          (6) The source of funds used to finance the activities of such drug treatment center;

          (7) Any other information required by rule or regulation of the secretary of social and health services pertaining to the qualifications of such drug treatment center.

          The secretary of social and health services may either grant or deny approval or revoke or suspend approval previously granted after investigation to ascertain whether or not such center is adequate to the care, treatment, and rehabilitation of such persons who have voluntarily submitted themselves to the care of such center; such grant, denial or revocation of approval shall be in accordance with standards as set forth in rules and regulations promulgated by the secretary.

Methadone programs certified by the secretary shall be limited to federal, state, and county agencies or to organizations or agencies with which such governmental entities contract to provide methadone treatment services.

No program may be certified by the department in any county, where the county legislative authority has prohibited methadone treatment.

Where a county has not prohibited methadone treatment, the county shall contract with any program that meets the applicable treatment standards for operation in that county:  PROVIDED, That if any program requires funding by or through a county, the county shall contract only to the extent that funds are available to fund that and other programs.  County standards may exceed or supplement state regulations and may include criteria for the need for and location of additional methadone programs.

In certifying programs or awarding contracts, neither the department nor any county may discriminate against any methadone program on the basis of its corporate structure.

Any program applying for certification from the department and any program applying for a contract from any state agency or any county legislative authority which has been denied such certification or contract shall be provided with a written notice specifying the rationale and reasons for the denial.

          Such approval shall be effective for one calendar year from the date of such approval.  Renewal of approval shall be made in accordance with the provisions of this section for initial approval and in accordance with the standards set forth in rules and regulations promulgated by the secretary.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.