Subject of Possible Rule Making: Chiropractic fees and renewal cycle updates. The department of health (department) is considering revisions to WAC 246-808-990 to update chiropractic and X-ray technician licensure, registration, renewal, and other fees including clarifying updates.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Fees charged at initial application and annual renewal generate revenue for the chiropractic profession. To set fees appropriately, the department considers the financial forecast of the profession and sets a fee amount designed to align revenue with the cost of licensing and regulating the profession.

By June 2016, the commission had built a fund balance of $2.2 million, 10 times the recommended reserve level. In order to draw down the excess fund balance, the commission reduced fees in fiscal year (FY) 2017, creating an annual deficit. This effort succeeded in bringing the fund balance to $500,000 by FY 2023.

The program's fund balance is currently declining at an average annual rate of 50 percent. The department projects an increase in expenditures over the next two years due to rising salary, benefit, and disciplinary costs, and the implementation of the HELMS licensing system. These factors combined are expected to reduce the fund balance an average of $300,000 annually over the next six years.

By FY 2024, the commission's fund balance will decline below the recommended reserve level; by FY 2025, the fund balance will reach a deficit of $51,000. The goal of updating fee amounts is to fund and balance the required administrative and regulatory costs of the program.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Betty J. Moe, P.O. Box 47857, Olympia, WA 98504, phone 360-236-2868, TTY 711, email Betty.Moe@doh.wa.gov, website https://doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/professions-new-renew-or-update/chiropractor-chiropractic-x-ray-technician; or Heather Cantrell, P.O. Box 47850, Olympia, WA 98504-7850, phone 360-236-4637, TTY 711, email HSQAFeeRules@doh.wa.gov.

Additional comments: Interested parties can participate in the drafting of the proposed rules. The commission and the department will be conducting rules workshops with interested parties and subject matter experts. The commission will use existing GovDelivery lists and other known contact information to inform interested parties of opportunities to provide input on proposed rule language. To find out more information about our rule making, visit www.doh.wa.gov. To subscribe to GovDelivery, please visit www.doh.wa.gov, and select the "Subscribe" button at the bottom of the page and then select "Chiropractic Quality Assurance Commission."