Passed by the House April 21, 2003 Yeas 97   FRANK CHOPP ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate April 11, 2003 Yeas 49   BRAD OWEN ________________________________________ President of the Senate | I, Cynthia Zehnder, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1904 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. CYNTHIA ZEHNDER ________________________________________ Chief Clerk | |
Approved May 12, 2003. GARY LOCKE ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | May 12, 2003 - 4:08 p.m. Secretary of State State of Washington |
State of Washington | 58th Legislature | 2003 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 03/05/03.
AN ACT Relating to the reporting of incidents by mandated reporters; amending RCW 74.34.020 and 74.34.035; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 74.34.020 and 1999 c 176 s 3 are each amended to read
as follows:
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in
this section apply throughout this chapter.
(1) "Abandonment" means action or inaction by a person or entity
with a duty of care for a vulnerable adult that leaves the vulnerable
person without the means or ability to obtain necessary food, clothing,
shelter, or health care.
(2) "Abuse" means the willful action or inaction that inflicts
injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation, or punishment on a
vulnerable adult. In instances of abuse of a vulnerable adult who is
unable to express or demonstrate physical harm, pain, or mental
anguish, the abuse is presumed to cause physical harm, pain, or mental
anguish. Abuse includes sexual abuse, mental abuse, physical abuse,
and
exploitation of a vulnerable adult, which have the following
meanings:
(a) "Sexual abuse" means any form of nonconsensual sexual contact,
including but not limited to unwanted or inappropriate touching, rape,
sodomy, sexual coercion, sexually explicit photographing, and sexual
harassment. Sexual abuse includes any sexual contact between a staff
person, who is not also a resident or client, of a facility or a staff
person of a program authorized under chapter 71A.12 RCW, and a
vulnerable adult living in that facility or receiving service from a
program authorized under chapter 71A.12 RCW, whether or not it is
consensual.
(b) "Physical abuse" means the willful action of inflicting bodily
injury or physical mistreatment. Physical abuse includes, but is not
limited to, striking with or without an object, slapping, pinching,
choking, kicking, shoving, prodding, or the use of chemical restraints
or physical restraints unless the restraints are consistent with
licensing requirements, and includes restraints that are otherwise
being used inappropriately.
(c) "Mental abuse" means any willful action or inaction of mental
or verbal abuse. Mental abuse includes, but is not limited to,
coercion, harassment, inappropriately isolating a vulnerable adult from
family, friends, or regular activity, and verbal assault that includes
ridiculing, intimidating, yelling, or swearing.
(d) "Exploitation" means an act of forcing, compelling, or exerting
undue influence over a vulnerable adult causing the vulnerable adult to
act in a way that is inconsistent with relevant past behavior, or
causing the vulnerable adult to perform services for the benefit of
another.
(3) "Consent" means express written consent granted after the
vulnerable adult or his or her legal representative has been fully
informed of the nature of the services to be offered and that the
receipt of services is voluntary.
(4) "Department" means the department of social and health
services.
(5) "Facility" means a residence licensed or required to be
licensed under chapter 18.20 RCW, boarding homes; chapter 18.51 RCW,
nursing homes; chapter 70.128 RCW, adult family homes; chapter 72.36
RCW,
soldiers' homes; or chapter 71A.20 RCW, residential habilitation
centers; or any other facility licensed by the department.
(6) "Financial exploitation" means the illegal or improper use of
the property, income, resources, or trust funds of the vulnerable adult
by any person for any person's profit or advantage.
(7) "Individual provider" means a person under contract with the
department to provide services in the home under chapter 74.09 or
74.39A RCW.
(8) "Mandated reporter" is an employee of the department; law
enforcement officer; social worker; professional school personnel;
individual provider; an employee of a facility; an operator of a
facility; an employee of a social service, welfare, mental health,
adult day health, adult day care, home health, home care, or hospice
agency; county coroner or medical examiner; Christian Science
practitioner; or health care provider subject to chapter 18.130 RCW.
(9) "Neglect" means (a) a pattern of conduct or inaction by a
person or entity with a duty of care that fails to provide the goods
and services that maintain physical or mental health of a vulnerable
adult, or that fails to avoid((s)) or prevent((s)) physical or mental
harm or pain to a vulnerable adult; or (b) an act or omission that
demonstrates a serious disregard of consequences of such a magnitude as
to constitute a clear and present danger to the vulnerable adult's
health, welfare, or safety.
(10) "Permissive reporter" means any person, employee of a
financial institution, attorney, or volunteer in a facility or program
providing services for vulnerable adults.
(11) "Protective services" means any services provided by the
department to a vulnerable adult with the consent of the vulnerable
adult, or the legal representative of the vulnerable adult, who has
been abandoned, abused, financially exploited, neglected, or in a state
of self-neglect. These services may include, but are not limited to
case management, social casework, home care, placement, arranging for
medical evaluations, psychological evaluations, day care, or referral
for legal assistance.
(12) "Self-neglect" means the failure of a vulnerable adult, not
living in a facility, to provide for himself or herself the goods and
services necessary for the vulnerable adult's physical or mental
health, and the absence of which impairs or threatens the vulnerable
adult's well-being. This definition may include a vulnerable adult who
is receiving services through home health, hospice, or a home care
agency, or an individual provider when the neglect is not a result of
inaction by that agency or individual provider.
(13) "Vulnerable adult" includes a person:
(a) Sixty years of age or older who has the functional, mental, or
physical inability to care for himself or herself; or
(b) Found incapacitated under chapter 11.88 RCW; or
(c) Who has a developmental disability as defined under RCW
71A.10.020; or
(d) Admitted to any facility; or
(e) Receiving services from home health, hospice, or home care
agencies licensed or required to be licensed under chapter 70.127 RCW;
or
(f) Receiving services from an individual provider.
Sec. 2 RCW 74.34.035 and 1999 c 176 s 5 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) When there is reasonable cause to believe that abandonment,
abuse, financial exploitation, or neglect of a vulnerable adult has
occurred, mandated reporters shall immediately report to the
department.
((If)) (2) When there is reason to suspect that sexual ((or
physical)) assault has occurred, mandated reporters shall immediately
report to the appropriate law enforcement agency and to the department.
(((2))) (3) When there is reason to suspect that physical assault
has occurred or there is reasonable cause to believe that an act has
caused fear of imminent harm:
(a) Mandated reporters shall immediately report to the department;
and
(b) Mandated reporters shall immediately report to the appropriate
law enforcement agency, except as provided in subsection (4) of this
section.
(4) A mandated reporter is not required to report to a law
enforcement agency, unless requested by the injured vulnerable adult or
his or her legal representative or family member, an incident of
physical assault between vulnerable adults that causes minor bodily
injury and does not require more than basic first aid, unless:
(a) The injury appears on the back, face, head, neck, chest,
breasts, groin, inner thigh, buttock, genital, or anal area;
(b) There is a fracture;
(c) There is a pattern of physical assault between the same
vulnerable adults or involving the same vulnerable adults; or
(d) There is an attempt to choke a vulnerable adult.
(5) Permissive reporters may report to the department or a law
enforcement agency when there is reasonable cause to believe that a
vulnerable adult is being or has been abandoned, abused, financially
exploited, or neglected.
(((3))) (6) No facility, as defined by this chapter, agency
licensed or required to be licensed under chapter 70.127 RCW, or
facility or agency under contract with the department to provide care
for vulnerable adults may develop policies or procedures that interfere
with the reporting requirements of this chapter.
(((4))) (7) Each report, oral or written, must contain as much as
possible of the following information:
(a) The name and address of the person making the report;
(b) The name and address of the vulnerable adult and the name of
the facility or agency providing care for the vulnerable adult;
(c) The name and address of the legal guardian or alternate
decision maker;
(d) The nature and extent of the abandonment, abuse, financial
exploitation, neglect, or self-neglect;
(e) Any history of previous abandonment, abuse, financial
exploitation, neglect, or self-neglect;
(f) The identity of the alleged perpetrator, if known; and
(g) Other information that may be helpful in establishing the
extent of abandonment, abuse, financial exploitation, neglect, or the
cause of death of the deceased vulnerable adult.
(((5))) (8) Unless there is a judicial proceeding or the person
consents, the identity of the person making the report under this
section is confidential.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 This act is necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the
state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect
immediately.