AN ACT Relating to health care assistants; reenacting and amending RCW 18.120.020; adding a new section to chapter 18.135 RCW; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 18.135 RCW to read as follows:

The health care facility or health care practitioner registering an initial or continuing certification pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall pay a fee determined by the director as provided in RCW 43.24.086.

All fees collected under this section shall be credited to the health professions account as required in RCW 43.24.072.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The sum of thirty-five thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1987, from the health professions account to the department of licensing for certification of health care assistants.

Sec. 3. Section 2, chapter 168, Laws of 1983 as amended by section 18, chapter 9, Laws of 1984 and by section 57, chapter 279, Laws of 1984 and RCW 18.120.020 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

The definitions contained in this section shall apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) "Applicant group" includes any health professional group or organization, any individual, or any other interested party which proposes that any health professional group not presently regulated be regulated or which proposes to substantially increase the scope of practice of the profession.

(2) "Certificate" and "certification" mean a voluntary process by which a statutory regulatory entity grants recognition to an individual who (a) has met certain prerequisite qualifications specified by that regulatory entity, and (b) may assume or use "certified" in the title or designation to perform prescribed health professional tasks.

(3) "Grandfather clause" means a provision in a regulatory statute applicable to practitioners actively engaged in the regulated health profession prior to the effective date of the regulatory statute which exempts the practitioners from meeting the prerequisite qualifications set forth in the regulatory statute to perform prescribed occupational tasks.

(4) "Health professions" means and includes the following health and health-related licensed or regulated professions and occupations: Podiatry under chapter 18.22 RCW; chiropractic under chapters 18.25 and 18.26 RCW; dental hygiene under chapter 18.29 RCW; dentistry under chapter 18.32 RCW; dispensing opticians under chapter 18.34 RCW; hearing aids under chapter 18.35 RCW; drugless healing under chapter 18.36 RCW; embalming and funeral directing under chapter 18.39 RCW; midwifery under chapter 18.50 RCW; nursing home administration under chapter 18.52 RCW; optometry under chapters 18.53 and 18.54 RCW; ocularists under chapter 18.55 RCW; osteopathy and osteopathic medicine and surgery under chapters 18.57 and 18.57A RCW; pharmacy under chapters 18.64 and 18.64A RCW; medicine under chapters 18.71, 18.71A, and 18.72 RCW; emergency medicine under chapter 18.73 RCW; physical therapy under chapter 18.74 RCW; practical nurses under chapter 18.78 RCW; psychologists under chapter 18.83 RCW; registered nurses under chapter 18.88 RCW; occupational therapists licensed pursuant to chapter 18.59 RCW; veterinarians and animal technicians under chapter 18.92 RCW; health care assistants under chapter 18.135 RCW; and massage practitioners under chapter 18.108 RCW.

(5) "Inspection" means the periodic examination of practitioners by a state agency in order to ascertain whether the practitioners' occupation is being carried out in a fashion consistent with the public health, safety, and welfare.

(6) "Legislative committees of reference" means the standing legislative committees designated by the respective rules committees of the senate and house of representatives to consider proposed legislation to regulate health professions not previously regulated.

(7) "License", "licensing", and "licensure" mean permission to engage in a health profession which would otherwise be unlawful in the state in the absence of the permission. A license is granted to those individuals who meet prerequisite qualifications to perform prescribed health professional tasks and for the use of a particular title.

(8) "Professional license" means an individual, nontransferable authorization to carry on a health activity based on qualifications which include: (a) Graduation from an accredited or approved program, and (b) acceptable performance on a qualifying examination or series of examinations.

(9) "Practitioner" means an individual who (a) has achieved knowledge and skill by practice, and (b) is actively engaged in a specified health profession.

(10) "Public member" means an individual who is not, and never was, a member of the health profession being regulated or the spouse of a member, or an individual who does not have and never has had a material financial interest in either the rendering of the health professional service being regulated or an activity directly related to the profession being regulated.

(11) "Registration" means the formal notification which, prior to rendering services, a practitioner shall submit to a state agency setting forth the name and address of the practitioner; the location, nature and operation of the health activity to be practiced; and, if required by the regulatory entity, a description of the service to be provided.

(12) "Regulatory entity" means any board, commission, agency, division, or other unit or subunit of state government which regulates one or more professions, occupations, industries, businesses, or other endeavors in this state.

(13) "State agency" includes every state office, department, board, commission, regulatory entity, and agency of the state, and, where provided by law, programs and activities involving less than the full responsibility of a state agency.