H-4452.1          _______________________________________________

                                  HOUSE BILL 2849

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              54th Legislature             1996 Regular Session

By Representatives Dyer, Cody, Casada, Conway, Hymes, Murray, Skinner, Morris, Crouse, Sherstad, Backlund, H. Sommers and Silver

Read first time 01/23/96.  Referred to Committee on Health Care.

Modifying nursing home administrator licensing.

     AN ACT Relating to nursing home administrator licensing; and amending RCW 18.52.071.

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

     Sec. 1.  RCW 18.52.071 and 1992 c 53 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

     The department shall issue a license to any person applying for a nursing home administrator's license after July 1, 1993, who meets the following requirements:

     (1) Successful completion of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree from a recognized institution of higher learning:  PROVIDED, That if education requirements are adopted by the federal government, the board may adopt rules requiring educational qualifications to meet those requirements;

     (2) Successful completion of a practical experience requirement as determined by the board;

     (3) Successful completion of examinations administered or approved by the board, or both, which shall be designed to test the candidate's competence to administer a nursing home;

     (4) At least twenty-one years of age; and

     (5) Not having engaged in unprofessional conduct as defined in RCW 18.130.180 or being unable to practice with reasonable skill and safety as defined in RCW 18.130.170.  The board shall establish by rule what constitutes adequate proof of meeting the above requirements.

     A limited license indicating the limited extent of authority to administer institutions ((certified by such)) conducted by and for those who rely upon treatment by prayer or spiritual means in accordance with the creed or tenets of any well-recognized church or religious denomination ((teaching religious or spiritual means for healing through prayer,)) shall be issued to individuals demonstrating membership in such church or denomination.  However, nothing in this chapter shall be construed to require an applicant ((certified)) employed by ((any well established and generally recognized church or religious denomination teaching reliance on spiritual means alone)) such institution to demonstrate proficiency in any medical techniques or to meet any medical educational qualifications or medical standards not in accord with the remedial care and treatment provided in such institutions.

                                    --- END ---