HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 1545
As Reported by House Committee On:
Health Care
Title: An act relating to adult family home services.
Brief Description: Regulating adult family home staff.
Sponsors: Representatives Curtis, Cody, Bailey, Clibborn, Skinner and Schual-Berke.
Brief History:
Health Care: 2/22/05, 2/25/05 [DPS].
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill |
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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 15 members: Representatives Cody, Chair; Campbell, Vice Chair; Morrell, Vice Chair; Bailey, Ranking Minority Member; Curtis, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Alexander, Appleton, Clibborn, Condotta, Green, Hinkle, Lantz, Moeller, Schual-Berke and Skinner.
Staff: Dave Knutson (786-7146).
Background:
Adult family homes are facilities licensed to care for up to six individuals who need
long-term care. These homes provide room, board, laundry, necessary supervision, assistance
with activities of daily living, personal care, and nursing services if necessary. The
Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) is responsible for licensing adult family
homes, which provide community-based residential care for elderly and disabled individuals.
Individual food handler permits are required for adult family home providers and staff.
In 2001, Governor Locke partially vetoed SHB 1320. The veto removed the authority for
employees of adult family homes to replace a food handlers license from the Department of
Health with approved additional food safety training as part of their regular care giver
training. The requirement for DSHS to develop opportunities for its staff to become familiar
with the routines of adult family homes was also eliminated.
Summary of Substitute Bill:
The DSHS is required to implement a food safety component as part of the required training
for staff and providers in adult family homes. The food safety component must meet the
standards established by the State Board of Health. Adult family home providers and staff
will not be required to have an individual food handlers permit if they successfully complete
training.
Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:
The substitute bill deletes the requirement that the DSHS staff become familiar with the
actual environment and routines of adult family homes. The substitute bill allows persons
who began working in adult family homes after June 30, 2005 to receive food handling
training through the basic and modified-basic caregiver training program. Workers hired
prior to June 30, 2005 must maintain 30 minutes of continuing education per year to maintain
food handling and safety training.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date of Substitute Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: This bill will consolidate food handler safety training into a single training process. Adult family homes are a home-like setting, and the food handler training needs to be consistent with that. This change will improve training for staff in adult family homes and maintain their home-like setting.
Testimony Against: None.
Persons Testifying: Representative Curtis, prime sponsor; Aaron Mountain, Washington State Residential Care Council; Bill Day, Adult Family Home Association of Washington; and Louise Ryan, Long Term Care Ombudsman Program.