BILL REQ. #:  H-1046.1 

Read first time 02/14/2003.   Referred to Committee on Health Care.

     AN ACT Relating to boarding home license violations; and amending RCW 18.20.190 and 18.20.195.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 18.20.190 and 2001 c 193 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The department of social and health services is authorized to take one or more of the actions listed in subsection (2) of this section in any case in which the department finds that a boarding home provider has:
     (a) Failed or refused to comply with the requirements of this chapter or the rules adopted under this chapter;
     (b) Operated a boarding home without a license or under a revoked license;
     (c) Knowingly, or with reason to know, made a false statement of material fact on his or her application for license or any data attached thereto, or in any matter under investigation by the department; or
     (d) Willfully prevented or interfered with any inspection or investigation by the department.
     (2) When authorized by subsection (1) of this section, the department may take one or more of the following actions:
     (a) Refuse to issue a license;
     (b) Impose reasonable conditions on a license, such as correction within a specified time, training, and limits on the type of clients the provider may admit or serve;
     (c) Impose civil penalties of not more than one hundred dollars per day per violation;
     (d) Suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew a license; or
     (e) Suspend admissions to the boarding home by imposing stop placement for one or more violations where significant actual harm has occurred, or it is likely that death or significant harm will occur.
     (3) When the department orders stop placement, the facility shall not admit any new resident until the stop placement order is terminated. The department may approve readmission of a resident to the facility from a hospital or nursing home during the stop placement. The department shall terminate the stop placement when: (a) The violations necessitating the stop placement have been corrected; and (b) the provider exhibits the capacity to maintain correction of the violations previously found deficient. However, if upon the revisit the department finds new violations that the department reasonably believes will result in a new stop placement, the previous stop placement shall remain in effect until the new stop placement is imposed.
     (4) After a department finding of a violation for which a stop placement has been imposed, the department shall make an on-site revisit of the provider within fifteen working days from the request for revisit, to ensure correction of the violation. For violations that are serious or recurring or uncorrected following a previous citation, and create actual or threatened harm to one or more residents' well-being, including violations of residents' rights, the department shall make an on-site revisit as soon as appropriate to ensure correction of the violation. Verification of correction of all other violations may be made by either a department on-site revisit or by written or photographic documentation found by the department to be credible. This subsection does not prevent the department from enforcing license suspensions or revocations. Nothing in this subsection shall interfere with or diminish the department's authority and duty to ensure that the provider adequately cares for residents, including to make departmental on-site revisits as needed to ensure that the provider protects residents, and to enforce compliance with this chapter.
     (5) RCW 43.20A.205 governs notice of a license denial, revocation, suspension, or modification. Chapter 34.05 RCW applies to department actions under this section, except that orders of the department imposing license suspension, stop placement, or conditions for continuation of a license are effective immediately upon notice and shall continue pending any hearing.

Sec. 2   RCW 18.20.195 and 2001 c 193 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The licensee or its designee has the right to an informal dispute resolution process to dispute any violation found or enforcement remedy imposed by the department during a licensing inspection or complaint investigation. The purpose of the informal dispute resolution process is to provide an opportunity for an exchange of information that may lead to the modification, deletion, or removal of a violation, or parts of a violation, or enforcement remedy imposed by the department.
     (2) The informal dispute resolution process provided by the department shall include, but is not necessarily limited to, an opportunity for review by a department employee who did not participate in, or oversee, the determination of the violation or enforcement remedy under dispute. The department shall develop, or further develop, an informal dispute resolution process consistent with this section.
     (3) A request for an informal dispute resolution shall be made to the department within ten working days from the receipt of a written finding of a violation or enforcement remedy. The request shall identify the violation or violations and enforcement remedy or remedies being disputed. The department shall convene a meeting, when possible, within ten working days of receipt of the request for informal dispute resolution, unless by mutual agreement a later date is agreed upon. The department shall submit a written decision to the licensee or its designee within ten working days following the conclusion of the informal dispute resolution meeting.
     (4) If the department determines that a violation or enforcement remedy should not be cited or imposed, the department shall delete the violation or immediately rescind or modify the enforcement remedy. Upon request, the department shall issue a clean copy of the revised report, statement of deficiencies, or notice of enforcement action.
     (5) If, after the informal dispute resolution meeting, the licensee, or its designee, still disagrees with the violation cited or enforcement remedy imposed, the licensee, or its designee, may request a formal hearing pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW, within twenty-eight calendar days following receipt of the notice of the written decision under subsection (3) of this section.
     (6) The request for informal dispute resolution does not delay the effective date of any enforcement remedy imposed by the department, except that civil monetary fines are not payable until the exhaustion of any formal hearing and appeal rights provided under this chapter. The licensee shall submit to the department, within the time period prescribed by the department, a plan of correction to address any undisputed violations, and including any violations that still remain following the informal dispute resolution.