HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1882

             As Reported By House Committee on:

                         Health Care

Title:  An act relating to family violence.

Brief Description:  Establishing pilot programs for family violence and certification requirements for family violence counselors.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives Morris, Moyer, Ebersole, Appelwick, Leonard, Wood, Braddock, Brumsickle, Prentice, Heavey, Pruitt, Paris, Cooper, Roland, H. Myers, Belcher, Mielke, Hine, Bowman, Wineberry, Phillips, Orr, Cantwell, Spanel, Rust, Holland, Edmondson, Casada, Sprenkle, Franklin, Riley, Bray, R. Johnson, Rayburn, Ogden, Ludwig, Jacobsen, Nelson, Miller, Winsley, P. Johnson, D. Sommers, Sheldon, Brekke, Rasmussen, Mitchell and Anderson.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Health Care, February 25, 1991, DPS.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

HEALTH CARE

Majority Report: That Substitute House Bill No. 1882 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 10 members:  Representatives Braddock, Chair; Day, Vice Chair; Moyer, Ranking Minority Member; Casada, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Cantwell; Edmondson; Franklin; Morris; Paris; and Prentice.

Staff:  Bill Hagens (786-7131).

Background:  Family violence is reaching epidemic proportions.  A recent study indicated that the injuries resulting from abuse in the home occur far more often than auto accidents, mugging, and rapes combined and account for over one-third of women's visits to hospital emergency rooms.  Children in such families are even more susceptible to such abuse.  The  cost of family violence in individual and society terms is beyond measure.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  Family violence is broadly defined to include abusive behavior against spouses, partners, children, siblings, the elderly and can be identified in the form of violence, sexual violence, emotional or psychological violence, and environmental violence.  Specifically it includes the statutory definitions of child abuse and neglect, sexual offense and domestic violence.

The secretary of the Department of Health is required to develop public health surveillance systems to track morbidity - nonfatal injury - occurrences associated with family violence.

The secretary of Social and Health Services is required to establish three new pilot programs in communities geographically balanced throughout the state.  The programs will assure a sustained commitment towards containing family violence.  Selection criteria shall be developed jointly with the Department of Health.  Twenty-five percent of the funding for the pilot programs shall be in-kind or in cash  contributions from the pilot community agencies.

The Office of Financial Management is required to inventory, catalogue, and assess all family violence-related programs in the state for the calendar years 1989 and 1990 and describe the services provided and the numbers served, and report to the appropriate committees of the Legislature by October 1, 1991.

For the three mentioned pilot programs for the ensuing biennium, $1.5 million is appropriated to the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) from the Drug Enforcement and Education Account

An emergency clause is added.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The provision to create a new category of counselor - "Certified Family Violence Counselor" is deleted.  It is the intent that this proposed new category be submitted for review to the Department of Health for "sunrise review."

The $1 million appropriation to DSHS from the general fund for the ensuing biennium for the UW/Harborview pilot program created in 1990 is deleted.  This appropriation is included in the governor's budget.

Fiscal Note:  Requested February 18, 1991.

Appropriation:  Removed.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  Sections 2, 3, and 4 take effect immediately.  The remaining sections take effect ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Family violence is a serious problem; pilot projects are needed to develop ways to address it.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Representative Morris, prime sponsor (pro); Karil Klingbell and Dr. Roland Maiuro, University of Washington (pro); Darnell Boyd, Psychological Consultant (pro); Kristine Gebbie and Chris Rose, Department of Health; Dawn Larsen, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (pro); Mary Pontarolo, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (pro); and Gail McGaffick, Washington State Psychological Association (pro).