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SENATE
BILL 5448
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Passed
Legislature - 1997 Regular Session
State of Washington 55th
Legislature 1997 Regular Session
By
Read first time 01/27/97.
Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.
Merging
the health professions account and the medical disciplinary account.
AN
ACT Relating to the merger of the health professions account and the medical
disciplinary account; amending RCW 18.71.310; adding a new section to chapter
18.71 RCW; creating new sections; repealing RCW 18.71.400 and 18.71.410;
providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 1. A
new section is added to chapter 18.71 RCW to read as follows:
All
assessments, fines, and other funds collected or received under this chapter
must be deposited in the health professions account and used solely to
administer and implement this chapter.
Sec.
2. RCW
18.71.310 and 1994 sp.s. c 9 s 330 are each amended to read as follows:
(1)
The commission shall enter into a contract with the committee to implement an
impaired physician program. The impaired physician program may include any or
all of the following:
(a)
Contracting with providers of treatment programs;
(b)
Receiving and evaluating reports of suspected impairment from any source;
(c)
Intervening in cases of verified impairment;
(d)
Referring impaired physicians to treatment programs;
(e)
Monitoring the treatment and rehabilitation of impaired physicians including
those ordered by the commission;
(f)
Providing post-treatment monitoring and support of rehabilitative impaired
physicians;
(g)
Performing such other activities as agreed upon by the commission and the
committee; and
(h)
Providing prevention and education services.
(2)
A contract entered into under subsection (1) of this section shall be financed
by a surcharge of up to twenty-five dollars per year on each license
renewal or issuance of a new license to be collected by the department of
health from every physician and surgeon licensed under this chapter in addition
to other license fees ((and the medical discipline assessment fee
established under RCW 18.72.380)). These moneys shall be placed in the
health professions account to be used solely for the implementation of the
impaired physician program.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 3. The
department of health shall merge the medical license renewal fee and the
medical disciplinary assessment fee into a single medical renewal fee, which
shall be deposited into the health professions account. The initial amount of
the merged fee shall be the sum of the medical license renewal fee and the
medical disciplinary assessment fee as of January 1, 1997. The department may
make future adjustments to the amount of the merged fee pursuant to RCW
43.70.250.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 4. The
department of health shall transfer the entire balance of the medical disciplinary
account to the health professions account to be used solely to administer and
implement the provisions of chapter 18.71 RCW. Until changes to fees are
adopted by rule under section 3 of this act, the department shall deposit any
fees intended for the medical disciplinary account into the health professions
account and utilize them solely to administer and implement the provisions of
chapter 18.71 RCW.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 5. The
following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:
(1) RCW
18.71.400 and 1996 c 191 s 56, 1993 c 367 s 18, 1991 c 3 s 170,
1985 c 7 s 62, & 1983 c 71 s 1; and
(2) RCW
18.71.410 and 1991 sp.s. c 13 s 17, 1985 c 57 s 6, & 1983 c
71 s 2.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. This
act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or
safety, or support of the state government and its existing public
institutions, and takes effect July 1, 1997.
