S-3382.2 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 6170
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State of Washington 52nd Legislature 1992 Regular Session
By Senators L. Smith, West, Amondson, A. Smith, Roach, M. Kreidler, Moore, Johnson, Talmadge and Oke
Read first time 01/20/92. Referred to Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care.
AN ACT Relating to the long-term care ombudsman program; adding a new section to chapter 18.20 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 18.51 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 70.128 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.190 RCW; creating a new section; making an appropriation; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. It is the intent of the legislature to enable local resolution of concerns and problems raised by long-term care residents by providing a volunteer long-term care ombudsman for every long-term care facility and to improve the access to the volunteer long-term care ombudsman at the facilities where Washington's most vulnerable citizens reside.
The legislature finds that although considerable progress has been made, only a fraction of long-term care residents have access to a volunteer ombudsman at their facilities and some counties have no local program at all. The legislature further finds that residents in those counties have access only to the two professional staff in the state office and that the four programs attempting to cover nine other counties are very inadequate, having only four to six hours per week of staff support for the volunteer program, and inadequate time to recruit, train, and support sufficient volunteers to cover their areas. The legislature also finds that other, more substantial local programs have heavy long-term care population loads and are not able to provide the volunteers needed for these vulnerable people.
This act will increase funding for the long-term care ombudsman program by increasing the licensing fees for facilities that the ombudsman program is required by federal and state law to visit.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 18.20 RCW to read as follows:
In addition to the fee established in RCW 18.20.020, a monthly fifty cents per bed surcharge is imposed on each licensee. The proceeds of the surcharge shall be deposited in the long-term care ombudsman account created in section 5 of this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 18.51 RCW to read as follows:
In addition to the fee established in RCW 18.51.050, a monthly one dollar per bed surcharge is imposed on each licensee. The proceeds of the surcharge shall be deposited in the long-term care ombudsman account created in section 5 of this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 70.128 RCW to read as follows:
In addition to the fee established in RCW 70.128.060, a monthly fifty cents per bed surcharge is imposed on each licensee. The proceeds of the surcharge shall be deposited in the long-term care ombudsman account created in section 5 of this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 43.190 RCW to read as follows:
The long-term care ombudsman account is created in the state treasury. Money in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may be used only for the long-term care ombudsman program under this chapter.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The sum of four hundred seventy-five thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1993, from the long-term care ombudsman account to the department of community development for the purposes of the long-term care ombudsman program established under chapter 43.190 RCW.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.