BILL REQ. #:  H-1669.3 



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SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1527
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State of Washington63rd Legislature2013 Regular Session

By House Early Learning & Human Services (originally sponsored by Representatives Appleton, Green, and Johnson)

READ FIRST TIME 02/22/13.   



     AN ACT Relating to services for people with developmental disabilities; adding new sections to chapter 71A.20 RCW; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 71A.20 RCW to read as follows:
     The department:
     (1) Shall, within thirty days of admission to a residential habilitation center, ensure that each resident's individual habilitation plan includes a plan for discharge to the community;
     (2) Shall use a person-centered approach in developing the discharge plan to assess the resident's needs and identify services the resident requires to successfully transition to the community, including:
     (a) Providing choice of community living options and providers, consistent with federal requirements, including offering to place, with the consent of the resident or his or her guardian, each resident of the residential habilitation center on the appropriate home and community-based waiver, as authorized under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396n, and provide continued access to the services through medicaid and through state funds made available for this purpose that meet his or her assessed needs;
     (b) Providing residents and their families or guardians opportunities to visit state-operated living alternatives and supported living options in the community. Such visits must be conducted with the consent of the residents of these community facilities;
     (c) Offering residents leaving a residential habilitation center a "right to return" to an intermediate care facility for individuals with disabilities for two years following their move;
     (d) Addressing services in addition to those that will be provided by providers of residential services that are necessary to address the resident's assessed needs, including:
     (i) Medical services;
     (ii) Nursing services;
     (iii) Dental care;
     (iv) Behavioral and mental health supports;
     (v) Habilitation services; and
     (vi) Employment or other day support;
     (3) Shall assure that, prior to discharge from a residential habilitation center, clients continue to receive services for which they have an assessed need;
     (4) Shall maximize federal funding for transitioning clients, such as utilizing the roads to community living grant;
     (5) Shall use any savings achieved through efficiencies to extend services, including state-staffed and private contractor-staffed crisis stabilization and respite services, to people with developmental disabilities currently receiving limited or no services, consistent with RCW 71A.10.015;
     (6) Shall employ the quality assurance process currently in use by the department to monitor the adjustment of each resident who leaves a residential habilitation center.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 71A.20 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Beginning November 1, 2013, and annually thereafter, the department shall submit information to the appropriate committees of the legislature regarding persons who have transitioned from residential habilitation centers to the community, for the first two years following each person's new placement, including:
     (a) Progress toward meeting the requirements of this act;
     (b) Client and guardian satisfaction with services;
     (c) Stability of placement and provider turnover, including information on returns to a residential habilitation center under section 1(2)(d) of this act;
     (d) Safety and health outcomes;
     (e) Types of services received by clients transitioned to the community; and
     (f) Continued accessibility of former residents to family.
     (2) This section expires November 1, 2018.

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