HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SSB 6033

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                         Health Care

Title:  An act relating to health care facility worker identification.

Brief Description:  Requiring identification badges for all hospital workers.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care (originally sponsored by Senators Deccio, Quigley, Moyer, Wojahn and Winsley).

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Health Care:  2/23/96 [DPA].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  Signed by 7 members:  Representatives Dyer, Chairman; Backlund, Vice Chairman; Cody, Ranking Minority Member; Casada; Conway; Morris and Skinner.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  Signed by 3 members:  Representatives Hymes, Vice Chairman; Crouse and Sherstad.

Staff:  Antonio Sanchez (786-7383).

Background:   Although many health care facilities require that their employees wear some type of identification while on the job, currently these facilities are not required by statute to identify all employees, staff, volunteers, lessees, and contractors with personal identification badges. 

Summary of Amended Bill:  All employees, volunteers, contractors, lessees, and service providers that provide services in person directly to a patient at health care facilities, including hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, health care provider's offices,  diagnostic or treatment centers, neuropsychiatric or mental health facilities, hospices, home health or home care providers, public health departments and districts, community residential programs for the developmentally disabled, and nursing homes, are required to wear personal identification badges with their first names, last initials, and health profession titles.  Persons working in city and county jails, psychiatric hospitals, and state correctional facilities are allowed to use pseudonyms or numerical identifiers on their identification badges.

Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill:  Health maintenance organizations are eliminated from the list of facilities that are required to have their employees and others who provide health care services in person wear identification badges.  Only those persons who are providing services in person directly to a patient must wear identification badges.  Public health departments and districts and community residential programs for the developmentally disabled are added to the list of health care facilities that must require identification badges.  Persons working in city and county jails, psychiatric hospitals, and state correctional facilities are allowed to use pseudonyms or numerical identifiers on their identification badges.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Amended Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This bill will help the patients keep track of those health care workers that go into health facilities and those who go into homes to work with patients.  The liability of health care facilities could be reduced with this requirement.  The cost to home care and chore workers could be nominal, but it is a good idea.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Nick Federici, Washington State Nurses Association; Rob Menault, Washington State Hospital Association; and Margaret Casey, Washington State Chore and Home Care Coalition.