PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY
Subject of Possible Rule Making: Chapter 246-12 WAC, Part 4, Inactive credential. The department is considering amending the uniform rules to add a military status credential for licensed military personnel and spouses or registered domestic partners of military personnel who are the subject of a deployment or transfer to a station outside of Washington state.
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 43.70.270 and SB 6290 (chapter 45, Laws of 2012).
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: SB 6290 (chapter 45, Laws of 2012) amends RCW 43.70.270 that allows licensees who enter the armed forces to maintain his/her health care license without fees. The bill allows spouses and registered domestic partners of military personnel to place their license on an "inactive" military status if the service member is deployed or stationed outside of Washington state. The bill also adds the United States Public Health Service Corps as an eligible service entity. The department is considering rules to establish the requirements and process for military personnel, spouses, or registered domestic partners to request military status on a health provider credential or return the credential to active status.
Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: None.
Process for Developing New Rule: Collaborative rule making.
Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication. Interested parties can participate in the rule-making process by providing comments on proposed language. Notices on how to provide comments will be sent to interested parties through listserv and e-mail. Interested parties can request to be added to an interested parties list or send written comments to Billie Jo Dale, Program Manager, P.O. Box 47852, Olympia, WA 98504-7852, billyjo.dale@doh.wa.gov, phone (360) 236-4841.
June 25, 2012
Mary C. Selecky
Secretary