BILL REQ. #:  H-4027.1 

Read first time 01/16/2006.   Referred to Committee on Health Care.

     AN ACT Relating to the joint legislative and executive task force on mental health services delivery and financing; and amending 2005 c 503 s 14 (uncodified).

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

Sec. 1   2005 c 503 s 14 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:
     (1) A joint legislative and executive task force on mental health services delivery and financing is created. The joint task force shall consist of eight members, as follows: The secretary of the department of social and health services or his or her designee; the president of the Washington state association of counties or his or her designee; a representative from the governor's office; two members of the senate appointed by the president of the senate, one of whom shall be a member of the majority caucus and one of whom shall be a member of the minority caucus; two members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, one of whom shall be a member of the majority caucus and one of whom shall be a member of the minority caucus; and the chair of the joint legislative audit and review committee or his or her designee. Staff support for the joint task force shall be provided by the office of financial management, the house of representatives office of program research, and senate committee services.
     (2) The joint task force may create advisory committees to assist the joint task force in its work.
     (3) Joint task force members may be reimbursed for travel expenses as authorized under RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060 and chapter 44.04 RCW, as appropriate. Advisory committee members, if appointed, shall not receive compensation or reimbursement for travel or expenses.
     (4) The joint task force shall oversee and make recommendations related to:
     (a) The reorganization of the mental health administrative structure within the department of social and health services;
     (b) The standards and correction process and the procurement process established by sections 4 through 6 of this act, including the establishment of regional support networks through a procurement process;
     (c) The extent to which the current funding distribution methodology achieves equity in funding and access to services for mental health services consumers;
     (d) Serving the needs of nonmedicaid consumers for the priority populations under chapter 71.24 RCW; ((and))
     (e) The types, numbers, and locations of inpatient psychiatric hospital and community residential beds needed to serve persons with a mental illness; and
     (f) The caseloads maintained by community mental health workers and the extent to which high caseloads pose health and safety risks to clients, workers, and the general public.
     (5) The joint task force shall report its initial findings and recommendations to the governor and appropriate committees of the legislature by January 1, 2006, and its final findings and recommendations by June 30, 2007.
     (6) This section expires June 30, 2007.