H-3594              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1494

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By Representatives Rayburn, Brekke, Tilly, Nutley, Scott, Leonard, Wang, P. King and Winsley

Read first time 1/17/86 and referred to Committee on Social & Health Services.

AN ACT Relating to the hospital volunteer visitor program; adding new sections to chapter 70.05 RCW; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that early intervention and prevention services immediately after childbirth reduces the risk for children and the costs to the state.  It is the intent of the legislature to establish the hospital volunteer visitor program to:

          (1) Visit new parents in the hospital to identify families at risk of:

          (a) Child abuse and neglect;

          (b) Developmental delay of the child;

          (c) Mental health problems;

          (d) Substance abuse;

          (e) Poverty (in need of financial assistance); or

          (f) Lack of health care; and

          (2) Provide information to new parents of resources and services available in the community to reduce risks, and follow-up to encourage utilization of these services.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The hospital volunteer visitor program is to be established in each county by the local public health department or district, as established pursuant to chapter 70.05 RCW.  Funding for each program shall be awarded by the department of social and health services based upon the number of maternity beds and the need of each county as determined by the department.  The local health department shall establish rules for administration of the program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     Programs established under section 2 of this act shall strive to reach the maximum number of new parents, cooperate fully with existing hospital and community resources, and use the utmost flexibility in procedures and hours of operation to meet the goal of reduced risk to children.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     The sum of .......... dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general fund to the department of social and health services for the biennium ending June 30, 1987, to carry out the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     Sections 1 through 3 of this act are each added to chapter 70.05 RCW.