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SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5688
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Passed Legislature - 1995 Regular Session
State of Washington 54th Legislature 1995
Regular Session
By
Read first time 03/01/95.
Improving screening for fetal
alcohol syndrome.
AN ACT Relating to
fetal alcohol exposure; adding new sections to chapter 70.96A RCW; and creating
new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec.
1. The legislature finds
that fetal alcohol exposure is among the leading known causes of mental
retardation in the children of our state. The legislature further finds that
individuals with undiagnosed fetal alcohol exposure suffer substantially from
secondary disabilities such as child abuse and neglect, separation from
families, multiple foster placements, depression, aggression, school failure,
juvenile detention, and job instability. These secondary disabilities come at
a high cost to the individuals, their family, and society. The legislature
finds that these problems can be reduced substantially by early diagnosis and
receipt of appropriate, effective intervention.
The purpose of this act
is to support current public and private efforts directed at the early
identification of and intervention into the problems associated with fetal
alcohol exposure through the creation of a fetal alcohol exposure clinical
network.
NEW SECTION. Sec.
2. A new section is added
to chapter 70.96A RCW to read as follows:
(1) The department
shall contract with the University of Washington fetal alcohol syndrome clinic
to provide fetal alcohol exposure screening and assessment services. The
University indirect charges shall not exceed ten percent of the total contract
amount. The contract shall require the University of Washington fetal alcohol
syndrome clinic to provide the following services:
(a) Training for health
care staff in community-based fetal alcohol exposure clinics to ensure the
accurate diagnosis of individuals with fetal alcohol exposure and the
development and implementation of appropriate service referral plans;
(b) Development of
written or visual educational materials for the individuals diagnosed with
fetal alcohol exposure and their families or caregivers;
(c) Systematic
information retrieval from each community clinic to (i) maintain diagnostic
accuracy and reliability across all community clinics, (ii) facilitate the
development of effective and efficient screening tools for population-based
identification of individuals with fetal alcohol exposure, (iii) facilitate
identification of the most clinically efficacious and cost-effective
educational, social, vocational, and health service interventions for
individuals with fetal alcohol exposure;
(d) Based on available
funds, establishment of a network of community-based fetal alcohol exposure
clinics across the state to meet the demand for fetal alcohol exposure
diagnostic and referral services; and
(e) Preparation of an annual
report for submission to the department of health, the department of social and
health services, the department of corrections, and the office of the
superintendent of public instruction which includes the information retrieved
under subsection (1)(c) of this section.
(2) The department
shall submit to the legislature, by January 1, 1996, a copy of the governor's
fetal alcohol syndrome advisory board report.
NEW SECTION. Sec.
3. A new section is added
to chapter 70.96A RCW to read as follows:
The department of
social and health services, the department of health, the department of
corrections, and the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall
execute an interagency agreement to ensure the coordination of identification,
prevention, and intervention programs for children who have fetal alcohol
exposure, and for women who are at high risk of having children with fetal
alcohol exposure.
The interagency
agreement shall provide a process for community advocacy groups to participate
in the review and development of identification, prevention, and intervention
programs administered or contracted for by the agencies executing this
agreement.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 4. If specific funding for
the purposes of this act referencing this act by bill number is not provided by
June 30, 1995, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.
