S-1029.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5740

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1995 Regular Session

By Senators Prentice, Deccio, Franklin, Winsley and Heavey

Read first time 02/03/95.  Referred to Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care.

Providing for preservation of medical records.

    AN ACT Relating to preservation of medical records; and amending RCW 70.41.190.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 70.41.190 and 1985 c 213 s 27 are each amended to read as follows:

The legislature finds that, in order to protect the public health and safety, it is necessary that hospitals retain and preserve certain medical records.

    Unless specified otherwise by the department, a hospital shall retain and preserve all medical records which relate directly to the care and treatment of a patient for a period of no less than ten years following the most recent discharge of the patient; except the records of minors, which shall be retained and preserved for a period of no less than three years following attainment of the age of eighteen years, or ten years following such discharge, whichever is longer.

    If a hospital ceases operations, it shall make immediate arrangements, as approved by the department, for preservation of its medical records.  If a hospital fails to make such arrangements, its medical records shall become the property of the department.

    The department shall by regulation define the type of records and the information required to be included in the medical records to be retained and preserved under this section; which records may be retained in photographic form pursuant to chapter 5.46 RCW.

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