S-1958               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6007

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State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Senators Deccio, DeJarnatt, Barr, Conner, Patterson and Smitherman

Read first time 2/26/87 and referred to Committee on Human Services & Corrections.

AN ACT Relating to health care planning; and adding a new section to chapter 70.38 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 70.38 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) In addition to the exemptions provided under RCW 70.38.111, a certificate of need is not required under this chapter for a rural hospital or a public hospital district.

          (2)(a) "Public hospital district," as used in this section, means a municipal corporation organized and existing pursuant to chapter 70.44 RCW that is authorized to provide hospital and other health care services.

          (b) "Rural hospital," as used in this section, means a hospital located anywhere in the state except the following areas:

          (i) The entire counties of Snohomish (including Camano Island), King, Kitsap, Pierce, Thurston, Clark, and Spokane;

          (ii) Areas within a twenty-mile radius of an urban area with a population exceeding thirty thousand persons; and

          (iii) Those cities or city-clusters located in rural counties but which for all practical purposes are urban.  These areas are Bellingham, Aberdeen-Hoquiam, Longview-Kelso, Wenatchee, Yakima, Sunnyside, Richland-Kennewick-Pasco, and Walla Walla.