SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5211

               As Passed Senate, March 17, 1997

Title:  An act relating to including public hospital districts as authorized self‑insurers.

Brief Description:  Authorizing public hospital districts to be self‑insurers.

Sponsors:  Senators Newhouse, Wojahn and Schow.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Commerce & Labor:  1/28/97, 2/4/97 [DP].

Passed Senate, 3/17/97, 47-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Schow, Chair; Horn, Vice Chair; Franklin, Fraser, Heavey and Newhouse.

Staff:  Jack Brummel (786-7428)

Background:  Group self-insurance was permitted by the Legislature in 1983 for school districts, educational service districts and hospitals.  One group was allowed for public hospitals and one for other hospitals.  Employees of public hospital districts that are not hospital employees may not be covered under the public hospital group self-insurance plan because public hospital districts were not included in the 1983 authorizing legislation.

Summary of Bill:  Public hospital districts may enter into an agreement to join the public hospital self-insurance group.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 26, 1997.

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

Testimony For:  Hospital districts now have to have two workers= compensation programs, one for hospital employees and one for hospital district employees.  This bill would simplify their handling of workers= compensation claims.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Robert Menaul, Beverly Simmons, WA State Hospital Association (pro).