BILL REQ. #:  S-2028.1 

READ FIRST TIME 03/03/03.   

     AN ACT Relating to delivery of social and health services at the local level; adding a new section to chapter 43.20A RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that the social and health care delivery systems maintained by the department of social and health services operate as distinct funding sources for services delivered at the community level. This results in local government establishing separate and distinct administrative organizations arrayed around the source of funding provided by the state. The legislature intends to support local initiatives that attempt to integrate social and health services, streamline and reduce administrative costs, and establish new organizational entities that provide faster, smarter, and more efficient social and health services.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.20A RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The department of social and health services shall consider proposals from counties or groups of counties to design a new administrative and service delivery infrastructure for supporting and managing social and health services provided by the county or group of counties. Each proposal shall be for a five-year pilot project. Each proposal must include an integrated total population management system utilizing a public service corporation or a nonprofit corporation as the administrative service organization with which the county or group of counties shall contract for the organization of services provided by the county or group of counties. The services to be included in the pilot project may include, but are not limited to, mental health, substance abuse, and developmental disabilities, but the services are limited to those services already provided by the county or group of counties.
     (2) The proposal must address regulatory oversight, risk management, compliance monitoring, service authorization, and care management. It shall also cover the following administrative functions:
     (a) Provider network development and management;
     (b) Access to care;
     (c) Appeals and grievance management;
     (d) Adequate social service array;
     (e) Customer service;
     (f) Quality management;
     (g) Information system management; and
     (h) Fiscal management.
     (3) Upon approval of a proposal considered under this section, the department of social and health services shall consolidate all contracts with the county or group of counties for services provided by the county or group of counties.
     (4) Nothing in this section shall permit decategorization of funds created under this section. The authority of the agency designated by the county or counties shall be limited to administrative and fiscal management of funds.
     Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the authority of the family policy council or community networks under chapter 70.190 RCW. The department shall advise the family policy council upon receipt of a proposal under subsection (1) of this section.
     (5) The department of social and health services shall submit proposed changes in statute and operating budget procedures to the legislature by January 15, 2004, to implement the proposals considered under this section.