Title: An act relating to a certification exemption for the conduct of blood-drawing procedures by research staff in the homes of research study participants.

Brief Description: Providing a certification exemption for the conduct of blood-drawing procedures by research staff in the homes of research study participants.

Sponsors: Senators Thibaudeau, Deccio, Keiser and Johnson.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Health & Long-Term Care: 1/30/06, 2/1/06 [DPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & LONG-TERM CARE

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6690 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.Signed by Senators Keiser, Chair; Thibaudeau, Vice Chair; Deccio, Ranking Minority Member; Benson, Brandland, Johnson, Kline and Parlette.

Staff: Edith Rice (786-7444)

Background: Health care assistants are unlicensed individuals who assist other licensed health care practitioners such as physicians and registered nurses, in providing health care to patients. Health care assistants can be certified by a health care facility or a health care practitioner.

Health care assistants have limited authority to administer skin tests and to perform minor invasive procedures to withdraw blood.

The Department of Health has established rules to set the minimum requirements necessary for a health care facility or health care practitioner to certify a health care assistant. Health care assistants certified by a health care facility, are limited to performing authorized functions in the health care facility which certified them. Health care assistants certified by any health care practitioner may perform authorized services in any health care facility or in the practitioner's office, under a health care practitioners's supervision.

Summary of Substitute Bill: Health care assistants are permitted to conduct blood drawing procedures on research study participants in the residences of the research study participants as long as they do so as part of a research study authorized by the institutional review board of a comprehensive cancer center or a nonprofit degree-granting institution of higher education. Blood drawing procedures must be conducted under the general supervision of a physician.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: The substitute bill clarifies that health care assistants are permitted to conduct blood drawing procedures in the residences of research study participants under specific circumstances.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: Health care assistants should be allowed to draw blood in the homes of research participants, since it is more convenient for the participants. Current law doesn't allow this.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Steve Schwartz, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.