WSR 18-02-074

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

[Filed January 2, 2018, 10:58 a.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: Chapter 246-337 WAC, Residential treatment facilities, the department is considering new rules, and revising related rule sections as appropriate, on licensure of pediatric transitional care facilities to implement SSB 5152 (chapter 263, Laws of 2017). These facilities would provide twenty-four hour care for newborns and infants who had prenatal exposure to drugs and suffer neonatal abstinence syndrome and related health issues.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: SSB 5152 (chapter 263, Laws of 2017).

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: More than twelve thousand children are born in Washington state each year who have had prenatal exposure to drugs, and some of these infants need short-term, round-the-clock health care related to this exposure. Pediatric transitional care facilities are an alternative to continued hospitalization, and support the infant's and family's transition to care at home. The legislature determined that rules are needed to set licensing, construction, staffing, and operational requirements for these facilities.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: The department will involve the department of social and health services on setting relevant standards for these facilities, and the state building code council on construction standards during rule development.

Process for Developing New Rule: The department will participate in collaborative rule making and will notify interested stakeholder[s] about rule development meetings and rule notices and related activities through email and on the department of health web site. A public hearing on proposed rules will be held at a later date.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting John Hilger, P.O. Box 47852, Olympia, WA 98504-7852, phone 360-236-2929, fax 360-236-2901, TTY 360-833-6388 or 711, email John.Hilger@doh.wa.gov.

Additional comments: Stakeholders may sign up for the program's interested parties list (GovDelivery) at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/WADOH/subscriber/new. All rule-making notices will be emailed via GovDelivery. Rule development will take place in open public meetings prior to a formal rule proposal and comment period.

January 2, 2018

John Wiesman, DrPH, MPH

Secretary