SENATE BILL REPORT

                   HB 2788

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

          Health & Long-Term Care, February 19, 1998

Title:  An act relating to nursing assistant training.

Brief Description:  Training nursing assistants.

Sponsors:  Representatives Backlund, Cody, Dyer and Kenney.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Health & Long‑Term Care:  2/19/98 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & LONG-TERM CARE

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Deccio, Chair; Wood, Vice Chair; Fairley, Franklin and Wojahn.

Staff:  Joan K. Mell (786-7447)

Background:  The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) has a long-term care training program for persons who provide long-term care to individuals requiring assistance.  The training concentrates on basic fundamentals and special care needs of persons with developmental disabilities, dementia, mental illness and advanced age.  The Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission assists DSHS with developing the training because of its expertise in long-term care needs.  The commission has a nursing assistant training program for certified nursing assistants.  Caregivers are not required to complete the nursing assistant program.  However, caregivers may choose to apply to the commission for certification as a nursing assistant.  Caregivers who apply for a nursing assistant certification are supposed to be able to apply caregiver training to the training requirements for a nursing assistant.  An hour of certain caregiver training equals an hour of the training required for certified nursing assistants. 

Summary of Bill:  The Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission directs the nursing assistant training programs to accept some or all of the skills and competencies from caregiver training.  The hour for hour equivalent is eliminated.  Caregivers must be tested to verify that they have transferrable skills and competencies for entry into a nursing assistant training program.

DSHS and the Nursing Quality Assurance Commission are required to jointly develop an implementation plan by December 12, 1998, for transferring credit for verifiable skills and competencies obtained through DSHS caregiver training program towards certification of nursing assistants by the nursing commission.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  This bill enables long-term caregivers to stair step into a nursing assistant=s career, expanding their working environment to hospitals and nursing care facilities.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Kathy Leitch, DSHS/AASA (pro).