BILL REQ. #:  H-2262.1 

READ FIRST TIME 03/05/03.   

     AN ACT Relating to facilitating collaboration among health care work force stakeholders to address the health care personnel shortage; amending RCW 28B.115.070 and 28B.115.090; adding a new section to chapter 28C.18 RCW; creating a new section; and repealing RCW 28B.125.005, 28B.125.010, 28B.125.020, and 28B.125.030.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds and declares:
     (1) There is a severe shortage of health care personnel in Washington state;
     (2) The shortage contributes to increased costs in health care and threatens the ability of the health care system to provide adequate and accessible services;
     (3) The current shortage of health care personnel is structural rather than the cyclical shortages of the past, and this is due to demographic changes that will increase demand for health care services;
     (4) An increasing proportion of the population will reach retirement age, and an increasing proportion of health care personnel will also reach retirement age; and
     (5) There should be continuing collaboration among health care work force stakeholders to address the shortage of health care personnel.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28C.18 RCW to read as follows:
     The board shall:
     (1) Facilitate ongoing collaboration among stakeholders in order to address the health care personnel shortage;
     (2) In collaboration with stakeholders, establish and maintain a state strategic plan for ensuring an adequate supply of health care personnel that safeguards the ability of the health care delivery system in Washington state to provide quality, accessible health care to residents of Washington; and
     (3) Report to the governor and legislature by December 31, 2004, and by December 31, 2006, on progress on the state plan and make additional recommendations as necessary.

Sec. 3   RCW 28B.115.070 and 1991 c 332 s 20 are each amended to read as follows:
     After June 1, 1992, the department, in consultation with the board and the department of social and health services, shall:
     (1) Determine eligible credentialed health care professions for the purposes of the loan repayment and scholarship program authorized by this chapter. Eligibility shall be based upon an assessment that determines that there is a shortage or insufficient availability of a credentialed profession so as to jeopardize patient care and pose a threat to the public health and safety. The department shall consider the relative degree of shortages among professions when determining eligibility. ((This determination shall be based upon health professional shortage needs identified in the health personnel resource plan authorized by RCW 28B.125.010.)) The department may add or remove professions from eligibility based upon the determination that a profession is no longer in shortage ((as determined by the health personnel resource plan)). Should a profession no longer be eligible, participants or eligible students who have received scholarships shall be eligible to continue to receive scholarships or loan repayments until they are no longer eligible or until their service obligation has been completed;
     (2) Determine health professional shortage areas for each of the eligible credentialed health care professions.

Sec. 4   RCW 28B.115.090 and 1991 c 332 s 22 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The board may grant loan repayment and scholarship awards to eligible participants from the funds appropriated for this purpose, or from any private or public funds given to the board for this purpose. Participants are ineligible to receive loan repayment if they have received a scholarship from programs authorized under this chapter or chapter ((28B.104 or)) 70.180 RCW or are ineligible to receive a scholarship if they have received loan repayment authorized under this chapter or chapter ((18.150)) 28B.115 RCW.
     (2) Funds appropriated for the program, including reasonable administrative costs, may be used by the board for the purposes of loan repayments or scholarships. The board shall annually establish the total amount of funding to be awarded for loan repayments and scholarships and such allocations shall be established based upon the best utilization of funding for that year ((and based upon the health personnel resource plan authorized in RCW 28B.125.010)).
     (3) One portion of the funding appropriated for the program shall be used by the board as a recruitment incentive for communities participating in the community-based recruitment and retention program as authorized by chapter 70.185 RCW; one portion of the funding shall be used by the board as a recruitment incentive for recruitment activities in state-operated institutions, county public health departments and districts, county human service agencies, federal and state contracted community health clinics, and other health care facilities, such as rural hospitals that have been identified by the department, as providing substantial amounts of charity care or publicly subsidized health care; one portion of the funding shall be used by the board for all other awards. The board shall determine the amount of total funding to be distributed between the three portions.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:
     (1) RCW 28B.125.005 (Intent) and 1991 c 332 s 4;
     (2) RCW 28B.125.010 (Statewide health personnel resource plan--Committee) and 1998 c 245 s 15, 1993 c 492 s 270, & 1991 c 332 s 5;
     (3) RCW 28B.125.020 (Institutional plans -- Implementation) and 1991 sp.s. c 27 s 1; and
     (4) RCW 28B.125.030 (New training programs) and 1993 c 323 s 5.