HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1758

                      As Passed House:

                        March 9, 1995

Title:  An act relating to repealing the health personnel resources plan, transferring data gathering to the health services commission.

Brief Description:  Creating the health professional data information system.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Representatives Backlund, Sherstad, Dyer, Morris and Cody).

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Health Care:  2/24/94, 2/28/95 [DPS];

Appropriations:  3/3/95, 3/4/95 [DPS(HC)].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  3/9/95, 95-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Dyer, Chairman; Backlund, Vice Chairman; Hymes, Vice Chairman; Cody, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Campbell; Casada; Crouse; Kessler; Morris; Sherstad and Skinner.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  Signed by 1 member:  Representative Conway.

Staff:  Bill Hagens (786-7131).

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report:  The substitute bill by Committee on Health Care be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 29 members:  Representatives Silver, Chairman; Clements, Vice Chairman; Huff, Vice Chairman; Pelesky, Vice Chairman; Sommers, Ranking Minority Member; Valle, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Beeksma; Brumsickle; Carlson; Chappell; Cooke; Crouse; G. Fisher; Foreman; Grant; Hargrove; Hickel; Jacobsen; Lambert; Lisk; McMorris; Poulsen; Reams; Rust; Sehlin; Sheahan; Talcott; Thibaudeau and Wolfe.

Staff:  Jim Lux (786-7152).

Background:  The Health Personal Resource Plan [HPRP] was enacted in 1991 to address health personnel shortages.  The plan is prepared on a biennial basis by a consortium of six state agencies.

Summary of Bill:  The HPRP is repealed.

The Health Services Commission, or its successor agency, is required to establish a health care professional information data system which shall identify the type, number, and location of health care professionals working in the state, and create a centralized inventory of applications, matriculations, and graduations from all health care training programs in the state in vocational-technical training, community colleges, and four-year colleges and universities.

The functions of implementing the state-wide nursing plan are transferred to the Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The Higher Education Coordinating Board is required to consider data from the Health Care Professional Information Data System in operating the health professions scholarship and forgivable loan program.

The Department of Health shall cease its work on "Health Care Workforce 2000" and either reallocate the funds from the Pew commission grant for use in childhood immunization or return the funds to the Pew commission.

Information gathered through this act shall not be used to change or recommend change to the scope of practice.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date of Bill:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect on July 1, 1995.

Testimony For:  (Health Care)  The HPRP is costly and has been not very effective.  Further,  some of its work could affect scope of provider practice, which is not appropriate.

 (Appropriations)  Several hundred health care professionals have been placed as a result of  the Health Personnel Resource Plan.  The plan is also used by the Higher Education Coordinating Board for their health care professional scholarship and loan program.

Testimony Against:  (Health Care)  The HPRP is effective; opponents are reluctant to consider new ways to address the shortage issue.

 (Appropriations)  The plan has accomplished very little, except possibly for use in the Higher Education Coordinating Board scholarship program.

Testified:  (Health Care)  Jeff Larsen, Washington Association of Naturopathic Physicians, Washington Academy of Physician Assistants, Washington Osteopathic Medical Association, Washington State Dental Hygienist Association; Dr. Mimi Fields, Department of Health; Dr. Elson Floyd, Higher Education Coordinating Board; Carl Nelson and Dr. Peter Dunbar, Washington State Medical Association (pro); Susan Watanabe, ARNP's United; Nick Federici, Washington State Nurses Association; and JoAnne Myers Ciedco, Seattle Midwifery School (pro).

(Appropriations)  Carl Nelson, Washington Medical Association (pro); and Mimi Fields, Department of Health/Washington State Health Officer and Health Resource Personnel Planning Committee Chair (con).