SENATE BILL REPORT
SHB 1295
As Reported By Senate Committee On:
Health & Long-Term Care, April 2, 2003
Title: An act relating to eliminating barriers to initial licensure in health professions.
Brief Description: Eliminating barriers to initial licensure in health professions.
Sponsors: House Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Representatives Morrell, Bailey, Cody, Kenney and Campbell; by request of Department of Health).
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Health & Long-Term Care: 3/20/03, 4/2/03 [DPA].
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & LONG-TERM CARE
Majority Report: Do pass as amended.
Signed by Senators Deccio, Chair; Winsley, Vice Chair; Brandland, Franklin, Keiser, Parlette and Thibaudeau.
Staff: Tanya Karwaki (786-7447)
Background: In 2002, the Health Care Personnel Shortage Task Force examined the extent of Washington's health care personnel shortage and developed recommendations for addressing the shortage of health care workers. The task force's final report identified shortages of health care personnel in numerous fields, including nurses, medical aides, dental hygienists, billers and coders, laboratory personnel, pharmacists, physicians, and radiology technologists. Several of these health care providers are regulated by the Department of Health.
The Department of Health and the various health profession boards issue credentials to 55 types of health care providers in Washington. The general qualifications that health care providers must meet are established in statute. The Department of Health and the health profession boards develop more specific standards to determine entrance into a profession based upon the statutory requirements.
Summary of Amended Bill: Changes are made to the entrance requirements for acupuncturists, dispensing opticians, nurses, psychologists, and veterinarians. Applicants for an acupuncture license must complete a microbiology course rather than a course in bacteriology; they must also have completed 500 hours of approved clinical training. Citizenship requirements for dispensing optician license applicants are eliminated.
The requirement that applicants for a nursing license provide evidence of a diploma from a school of nursing is changed to a transcript demonstrating an applicant's graduation and successful completion of a nursing program. Provisions are added for licensed practical nurses who graduated from nontraditional registered nursing programs to obtain the required clinical experience.
An applicant for a license to practice psychology must pass an exam; however, the requirement that there be both a written and oral exam is eliminated.
Notarization requirements for applicants for veterinarian license applicants are eliminated. An applicant for a veterinarian license must pass an exam to be licensed; however, passing a written exam, an oral interview, and a practical demonstration is no longer required.
A new provider category is created, named the certified affiliate sex offender treatment provider. It is defined as a credentialed health professional that is certified by the department to examine and treat sex offenders under the supervision of a certified sex offender treatment provider. Certified affiliate sex offender treatment providers may perform the same services as a certified sex offender treatment provider as long as they are supervised. The Secretary of Health is authorized to issue certifications; determine minimum education, experience, and training requirements; and deny certification in accordance with the Uniform Disciplinary Act. Certified affiliate sex offender treatment providers are covered by the Uniform Disciplinary Act. Technical changes are made to statutes referencing certified sex offender treatment providers to include certified affiliate sex offender treatment providers.
Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill: The striker adds to the underlying bill technical changes to other sections of the law referencing certified sex offender treatment providers. These sections are expanded to include certified affiliate sex offender treatment providers, as well as certified sex offender treatment providers.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: The certified affiliate sex offender treatment provider concept already exists; the bill simply puts it in statute.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: Ron Weaver, Department of Health (pro); Louise Kaplan, WSNA (pro in original form).