FINAL BILL REPORT

SSB 5579

C 231 L 03

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Revising provisions for boarding homes.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care (originally sponsored by Senators Parlette, Jacobsen, Winsley, Brandland, Rasmussen, Esser, Reardon, Honeyford, T. Sheldon, Hargrove, Haugen, Doumit, Zarelli, Stevens, Deccio, Keiser, Mulliken and Shin).

Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care

House Committee on Health Care

Background: In early 2001, the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) began a two-year process of rewriting the rules that regulate boarding homes in this state. The process involved stakeholders' meetings held around the state, and the goal was to make rules more appropriate to the types of people who live in boarding homes and relevant to current practices.

The new rules are scheduled for adoption in April 2003. They change many elements of existing WAC, including, among other things, adding requirements related to assessments, negotiated care plans, minimum levels of service, staff training, qualifications for administrators, disaster preparedness, infection control practices, criminal background checks, and medication administration.

Boarding home advocates say the cost of implementing these new rules will be prohibitively expensive.

Summary: Boarding homes are not housing or services customarily provided under the landlord tenant agreements. A boarding home license is not needed when services in the facility are initiated and arranged by persons other than the boarding home licensee, and where emergency assistance is not provided frequently or on a routine basis.

Domiciliary care is defined as assistance with daily activities, general responsibility for the safety and well-being of the residents, or intermittent nursing services.

The department may issue a "limited stop placement" on boarding homes.

A rate system is described to pay boarding homes that hold beds for residents who temporarily leave the facility.

DSHS must submit a report to the Legislature by December 12, 2004, on the boarding home payment system, the validity of its assessment tool for categorizing residents into meaningful care, payment groups and other relevant information.

By December 2003, DSHS must report to the Legislature on the results of the dementia care pilot program.

Within available funds, the department may pilot an informal centralized dispute resolution process for two years.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate       49  0

House       93  0    (House amended)

Senate       45  0    (Senate concurred)

Effective: May 12, 2003