HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1542

             As Reported By House Committee on:

                         Health Care

Title:  An act relating to the expansion of private community programs for adults with developmental disabilities.

Brief Description:  Providing for the expansion of programs for developmentally disabled adults.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives Cooper, Moyer, Braddock, Ferguson, Leonard, May, Dorn, Riley, Prentice, H. Myers, Hargrove, Ogden, Peery, Morris, Heavey, Sprenkle, Brekke, Cantwell, Haugen, Jones, Van Luven, Ludwig, Scott and Winsley.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Health Care, March 6, 1991, DPS.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

HEALTH CARE

Majority Report: That Substitute House Bill No. 1542 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Braddock, Chair; Day, Vice Chair; Moyer, Ranking Minority Member; Casada, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Cantwell; Edmondson; Franklin; Morris; Paris; Prentice; and Sprenkle.

Staff:  Bill Hagens (786-7131).

Background:  Developmental disabilities [DD] services is a program within the Department of Social and Health Services.  For a person to be eligible for DD services, her or his disability must be attributed to mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, or another neurological or other condition closely associated with mental retardation; the disability must have originated before age 18, be expected to continue indefinitely, and constitute a substantial handicap.

Presently, students with developmental disabilities often are unable to find employment, day programs, or residential services upon leaving school.  A delay in transitioning these students from school to needed community services can have a detrimental effective on their development. 

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services, effective July 1, 1991, is required to expand private community DD programs to ensure that all persons graduating from secondary schools are provided appropriate residential, employment, or day program services.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  Provisions are deleted that would require the secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services to meet all the needs of DD persons on the waiting list.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For:  Unless these services are provided in a timely manner, these students may begin to regress in their development.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Representative Cooper, prime sponsor (pro); Lyn Reynolds, Community Enterprises of Issaquah (pro); Sylvia Furstenberg; Margaret Thompson, King County Parent Coalition for Developmental Disabilities (pro); Sharon Hansen, Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (pro); Steve Olson (pro); Ray Jensen (pro); Kari Sellans (pro); Janet Adams, Clark County DDAB (pro); Neal Lettich, Interlake Parent Group and King County Parent Coalition (pro); Sue Elliott, Department of Social and Health Services (con); Mary Belker, Parent Coalition (pro); Nancy Meltzer (pro); Lurie Cano and Delia Cano (pro); Harry Mills, WINGS (pro); Mary Riley, Lifeskills Center (pro); Cynthia Neilleur, Lake Washington School District (pro); Michael Kovsky, King County Association for Retarded Citizens (pro); Jeff Larsen, Adult Family Homes of Washington and Washington Assembly (pro); Dorothy Spencer (pro); Dolores Hayes, Friends of Residential Centers for Retarded (pro); Kathleen Whittaker, Options Parent Group (pro); Paul Andrews, Bill Hadler and Chris Bitner, Lake Washington School District (pro); Karen Hall, Renton Parent Group (pro); and Joanne O'Neill, ANAD Parent Group (pro).