HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1266

                       As Passed House

                       March 11,  1997

Title:  An act relating to confidentiality of information provided to the health care policy board and the interagency quality committee.

Brief Description:  Exempting certain information provided to the health care policy board and interagency quality committee from public disclosure.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by  Representatives Dyer, Cody and Cole).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Health Care:  2/7/97, 2/11/97 [DPS].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  3/11/97, 97‑0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Dyer, Chairman; Backlund, Vice Chairman; Skinner, Vice Chairman; Cody, Ranking Minority Member; Murray, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Anderson; Conway; Parlette; Sherstad; Wood and Zellinsky.

Staff:  Bill Hagens (786-7131).

Background:  Unless specifically exempted, all documents and records collected, produced and maintained by state offices are considered public records and are to be released when sought through the  ARequest for Public Records@ process.  The state Health Care Policy Board and the Interagency Quality Committee (IQC) have been given a variety of assignments that involve collecting and analyzing health care information.  Further, the board, in discharging its responsibilities regarding antitrust monitoring,  must have access to confidential and proprietary information.  However, the Health Care Policy Board and IQC currently do not have statutory authority to protect this information from public access.  The board has identified the lack of specific statutory authority as a significant barrier for the board in developing thorough analyses and recommendations.

Summary of Bill:  Certain data handled by the Health Care Policy Board and the IQC are exempted from statutory disclosure requirements.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  The Health Care Policy Board and the IQC need these powers to fully discharge their responsibilities.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Tom Hilyard, Duane Thurman, and George Schneider, Health Care Policy Board (pro); and Roland Thompson, Allied Daily Newspapers (pro).