SENATE BILL REPORT
SB
6341
As Passed Senate, February 8, 1996
Title: An act relating to registration of adult family home providers and resident managers.
Brief Description: Revising provisions for adult family home licensing and operation.
Sponsors: Senators Fairley, Deccio and Wojahn; by request of Department of Health.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Health & Long-Term Care: 2/1/96, 2/2/96 [DP].
Passed Senate, 2/8/96, 48-0.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & LONG-TERM CARE
Majority Report: Do pass.
Signed by Senators Quigley, Chair; Wojahn, Vice Chair; Deccio, Fairley, Franklin, Moyer, Thibaudeau, Winsley and Wood.
Staff: Rhoda Jones (786-7198)
Background: In 1995, the Legislature passed a law requiring adult family home providers to register with the Department of Health (DOH), effective July 1, 1996. This meant that for the first time the operators of adult family homes would be subject to disciplinary action under the state's Uniform Disciplinary Act. The intent was to protect residents from any conduct that could threaten their health and safety.
Confusion has arisen over who exactly must register with the Department of Health. While the 1995 legislation states that adult family home "providers" must register, the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), which licenses adult family homes, uses other terminology to describe the operators. They describe "providers" as the owners who sometimes also operate the home, and "resident managers" as people hired by the provider to run the day-to-day operations of the home.
Summary of Bill: "Provider" and "resident manager" are used consistently throughout both DOH statutes pertaining to registration and DSHS statutes pertaining to licensing.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect on July 1, 1996.
Testimony For: The wording needs to be corrected in statute.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: PRO: Ron Weaver, DOH; Cheryl Metcalf, WACD; Jeff Larson, Residential Care.