H-2164.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 2172
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State of Washington 52nd Legislature 1991 Regular Session
By Representatives Inslee and Grant.
Read first time March 5, 1991. Referred to Committee on Appropriations.
AN ACT Relating to certification for sex offender treatment providers; amending RCW 43.70.250; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that public safety requires that mental health professionals who evaluate and treat sex offenders be properly trained and certified under chapter 18.155 RCW to assure competence in this area of practice. The legislature also finds that a relatively small number of mental health professionals are needed for the evaluation and treatment of sex offenders and that requiring fees to be set for certification of these mental health professionals according to RCW 43.70.250 would be unduly burdensome and would discourage such mental health professionals from becoming trained and certified in this area of practice.
Sec. 2. RCW 43.70.250 and 1989 1st ex.s. c 9 s 319 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) It shall be the policy of the state of Washington that the cost of each professional, occupational, or business licensing program be fully borne by the members of that profession, occupation, or business. The secretary shall from time to time establish the amount of all application fees, license fees, registration fees, examination fees, permit fees, renewal fees, and any other fee associated with licensing or regulation of professions, occupations, or businesses administered by the department. In fixing said fees, the secretary shall set the fees for each program at a sufficient level to defray the costs of administering that program. All such fees shall be fixed by rule adopted by the secretary in accordance with the provisions of the administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, no fee for midwives, as licensed in chapter 18.50 RCW may be increased by more than one hundred dollars or fifty percent, whichever is greater during any biennium.
(3) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, the secretary shall reduce the fees for certification of sex offender treatment providers in an amount commensurate with any legislative appropriation made for the purpose of reducing the cost to the department of certification of sex offender treatment providers.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The sum of one hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1993, from the general fund to the department of health for the purpose of reducing the cost of certification of sex offender treatment providers under chapter 18.155 RCW.