H-5121.3  _______________________________________________

                 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 4439

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     2000 Regular Session

By Representatives Pflug, Parlette, Edmonds and Cody

Read first time 03/09/2000.  Referred to Committee on Health Care.

Creating a joint legislative committee on long-term care and rehabilitation.

    WHEREAS, Washington's chronically functionally disabled population of all ages is increasing at a rapid pace due to a rapidly growing population of the very old and an increased incidence of disability due to technological improvements in acute care causing people to live longer; and

    WHEREAS, The public demands that long-term care services be client and family-centered, safe, economically effective and efficient, and designed to encourage individual dignity and allow for meaningful and accessible care options; and

    WHEREAS, Long-term care services should be administered in a way that increases safety, accountability, and quality, minimizes administrative cost, eliminates unnecessarily complex administrative barriers, minimizes program and services duplication, and maximizes the use of financial resources in directly meeting the needs of persons of all ages with chronic functional limitations, including persons with acute episodic mental illness;

    NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the House of Representatives of the state of Washington, the Senate concurring, That a joint legislative committee on long-term care and rehabilitation oversight be created.  The committee shall consist of:  Four members of the senate appointed by the president of the senate, two from the majority party and two from the minority party; and four members of the house of representatives, appointed by the co-speakers of the house of representatives, two from each party; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee elect a chair and vice-chair.  The chair shall be a member of the senate in even-numbered years and a member of the house of representatives in odd-numbered years.  The vice-chair shall be a member of the senate in odd-numbered years and a member of the house of representatives in even-numbered years; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee shall:

    (1) With the assistance of the department of social and health services, develop relevant demographic information and projected estimates of future long-term care services needs and utilization;

    (2) Review the need to reorganize the administration of long-term care services to correspond to projected estimates of needs and utilization of long-term care services;

    (3) Review all quality standards developed, revised, and enforced by the department;

    (4) Initiate or review studies relevant to the issues of administration, delivery, and quality of long-term care services;

    (5) Review all rules proposed by the department to ensure consistency with legislative intent;

    (6) Report to the legislature the progress on reorganization and reform consistent with this resolution;

    (7) Prepare legislation necessary to implement the intent of this resolution;

    (8) Review the need to develop a geographically balanced matrix of designated service areas; and

    (9) Review the boarding home third party licensing proposal for a pilot project to establish a joint public private licensing process for boarding homes; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the joint legislative committee on long-term care and rehabilitation oversight expire on March 1, 2004.

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