FINAL BILL REPORT

                   SB 5448

                           C 79 L 97

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Merging the health professions account and the medical disciplinary account.

Sponsors:  Senators Deccio, Wojahn, Wood and Fairley.

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

House Committee on Appropriations

Background:  The Department of Health is responsible for licensing new physicians and physicians= assistants.  The department is also responsible for investigating complaints against members of these two professions.  Both activities are funded through fees paid by physicians and physicians= assistants.

Both the licensing function and the disciplinary function are administered by the Medical Quality Assurance Commission within the Department of Health.  Separate fees must be paid by physicians and physicians= assistants so that the appropriate amounts can be placed in the medical disciplinary account and the health professions account to support the commission=s activities.  The commission utilizes available funding from both accounts to carry out its mission.

Summary:  The medical disciplinary account is eliminated.  All funds in the medical disciplinary account are transferred to the health professions account and all fees from the licensing and disciplinary activities must be placed in the health professions account.  The separate licensing and disciplinary fees must be merged into one fee, equal to the sum of the two separate fees.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate 48 0

House     98 0

Effective:  July 1, 1997