Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research | BILL ANALYSIS |
College & Workforce Development Committee |
HB 1851
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent. |
Brief Description: Creating the care worker research and resource center.
Sponsors: Representatives Senn, Eslick, Kilduff, Sells, Chapman, Appleton and Shewmake.
Brief Summary of Bill |
|
Hearing Date: 2/19/19
Staff: Trudes Tango (786-7384).
Background:
There are various types of health care workers who provide individual care to clients in their homes, institutions, and other settings. For example, long-term care workers provide paid, personal care assistance to individuals with developmental disabilities or other long-term care needs. Long-term care workers include individual providers of home care services. There are also paid caregivers in adult family homes and assisted living facilities who care for residents with special needs, such as dementia, developmental disabilities, or mental illness.
The Workforce Training and Education Coordination Board (WTB) staffs a task force, called the Health Workforce Council (Council), that is charged with creating a statewide plan to address healthcare workforce shortages. The Council provides updates to policymakers on health workforce supply and demand, tracks progress on implementation of new programs, and brings key stakeholders together to develop and advocate for sustainable solutions.
In its 2018 annual report, the Council recommended that the WTB and the Council develop a policy framework for a "care worker career lattice" to address the retention and advancement of frontline entry level and mid-level care workers.
Summary of Bill:
The Legislature recognizes the need for care workers who support individuals in their homes, community, workplace, and classrooms, and that these workers are among the lowest paid workers in the labor market.
The Council must select an entity to create, administer, and maintain a care worker research and resource center (Center). The purpose of the Center is to provide support and resources for care workers and to provide research and data to policymakers and caregiving organizations.
The Center must identify various types of care workers across the state, track turnover rates and reasons for turnover, maintain a repository of research, disseminate summaries of research, and perform research and analysis on certain specified trends.
The Center must provide support to care workers by, among other things:
recommending new career and economic pathway models for care workers;
mapping care worker skill sets;
working with education and training providers to develop education pathways to support care workers progressing into new opportunities;
facilitating ending racial and ethnic disparities in health care and education;
establishing an online portal and physical on-site networks for care workers to receive services, such as job search assistance and referrals to services;
creating online learning opportunities;
establishing peer support and mentoring;
providing information on personal well-being services; and
developing emerging best practices information and other materials.
By December 31, 2019, the Council must present an initial progress report to the appropriate committees of the Legislature.
By July 1, 2020, the Center must be established. The Center must provide annual reports to the appropriate Legislative committees and the Council.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on February 14, 2019.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.