Subject of Possible Rule Making: Chapter 246-320 WAC, Hospital licensing regulations (construction standards only), the department of health (department) is considering amending the hospital licensing regulations to align with current federal and national construction standards.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The department is considering aligning the construction requirements of chapter 246-320 WAC with current national construction standards, so as to comply with RCW 70.41.030. The current rules reference the 2014 edition of the Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities, a more recent version was published in 2018. Adopting current standards would allow facilities to take advantage of newer construction methods. This change would also provide the opportunity to be consistent with widely-recognized standards that are vital to the health and safety of hospital patients and staff.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: The department will closely coordinate with the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, national code writing bodies, and the state building code council to avoid conflict and duplication with other built environment requirements. This will be accomplished through the department's ongoing involvement with construction code development.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting John Williams, P.O. Box 47852, Olympia, WA 98504-7852, phone 360-236-2950, fax 360-236-2901, TTY 360-833-6388 or 711, email john.williams@doh.wa.gov; or Susan Upton, P.O. Box 47852, Olympia, WA 98504-7852, phone 360-236-2948, fax 360-236-2901, email susan.upton@doh.wa.gov.

Additional comments: Interested parties may participate in the development of draft rules prior to a formal proposal by joining the department's interested parties list (GovDelivery) at https://public.govdelivery.com/accountsWADOH/subscriber/new, attending workshops, and providing input on draft and proposed materials.