SENATE BILL REPORT

SHB 2227

 

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Ways & Means, June 7, 2001

 

Title:  An act relating to establishing the eastern Washington veterans' home.

 

Brief Description:  Establishing the eastern Washington veterans' home.

 

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Ahern (co‑prime sponsor), Gombosky (co‑prime sponsor), Schoesler, Wood, Benson, Haigh, Schindler, Conway, Cox, Reardon, D. Schmidt, Talcott, Campbell and Bush; by request of Department of Veterans Affairs).

 

Brief History: 

Committee Activity:  Ways & Means:  5/22/01; 6/7/01 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

 

Majority Report:  Do pass.

Signed by Senators Brown, Chair; Constantine, Vice Chair; Fairley, Vice Chair; Fraser, Hewitt, Honeyford, Kohl‑Welles, Long, Parlette, Rasmussen, Regala, Roach, Rossi, Sheahan, B. Sheldon, Spanel, Thibaudeau, Winsley and Zarelli.

 

Staff:  Tim Yowell (786‑7435)

 

Background:  The Washington Department of Veterans' Affairs (WDVA) operates two state veterans' homes that provide long-term care for veterans and their spouses.  The homes are the Soldiers' Home at Orting and the Veterans' Home at Retsil.  Both homes are funded through a combination of funds that includes state general funds, per diem payments from the federal Department of Veterans' Affairs, Medicaid payments, and contributions from residents' incomes.

 

Summary of Bill:  An Eastern Washington veterans' home is established.  The Legislature intends that the state general fund shall not provide support in future biennia for the Eastern Washington home, except for amounts required to pay the state share of Medicaid costs.  The WDVA is authorized to operate and manage the Eastern Washington veterans' home in the same manner as other state veterans' homes are operated and managed.

 

Appropriation:  None.

 

Fiscal Note:  Available.

 

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

 

Testimony For:  Veterans from eastern Washington and their families shouldn't have to travel all the way across the state to receive long-term care in a state veterans home.  There is a growing need for such a facility, due to the large number of World War II and Korean War veterans in need of nursing home care.

 

Testimony Against:  None.

 

Testified:  Representative John Ahern, co-prime sponsor.