PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Economic Services Administration)
Subject of Possible Rule Making: The community services division is proposing to amend WAC 388-448-0050 How we determine the severity of mental impairments.
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090.
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The department will propose amendments in order to replace obsolete and outdated medical descriptions and references. These changes are necessary to support documents that are more easily understood by mental health professionals and will promote more accurate and consistent medical evidence.
Process for Developing New Rule: DSHS welcomes the public to take part in developing the rules. Anyone interested should contact the staff person identified below. At a later date, DSHS will file a proposal with the office of the code reviser with a notice of proposed rule making. A copy of the proposal will be sent to everyone on the mailing list and to anyone who requests a copy.
Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Melissa Mathson, Program Manager, Community Services Division, P.O. Box 45470, Olympia, WA 98504-5470, phone (360) 725-4563, fax (360) 725-4905, e-mail mathsmc@dshs.wa.gov.
July 22, 2008
Katherine D. Vasquez, Manager
Rules and Policies Assistance Unit