S-3158.2          _______________________________________________

 

                                 SENATE BILL 6040

                  _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1992 Regular Session

 

By Senators West and Johnson

 

Read first time 01/13/92.  Referred to Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care.Requiring reports on assaults on staff at state mental hospitals.


     AN ACT Relating to assaults on staff at state institutions; and adding new sections to chapter 71.05 RCW.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 71.05 RCW to read as follows:

     Assaults of full or part-time employees, volunteers, personal service providers, vendors, or vendor's agents at any state hospital for the mentally ill must be reported, within seventy-two hours of occurrence, by the superintendent of the hospital to the secretary of the department or the secretary's designee.  Upon receiving the report, the secretary or the secretary's designee shall designate a qualified behavioral expert to assess the persons involved in the incident.  Within thirty days of the incident, the expert shall provide to the superintendent of the hospital a written report that contains at least the following elements:

     (1) Whether the person committing the assault intended to do grievous bodily harm;

     (2) The extent of injuries sustained by all persons; and

     (3) A recommendation for referral to law enforcement, internal investigation, or an appropriate interdisciplinary treatment team.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 71.05 RCW to read as follows:

     If the superintendent of the hospital fails to carry out the recommendation in the report required under section 1 of this act, the superintendent must provide a written report to the secretary or the secretary's designee specifying the reason or reasons for failing to carry out those recommendations.