BILL REQ. #:  S-4367.4 

READ FIRST TIME 01/23/06.   

     AN ACT Relating to establishing a pilot project to assist individual providers with collecting community options program entry system client participation money; creating new sections; making an appropriation; providing an effective date; providing an expiration date; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) A twelve month, one county, community options program entry system pilot project is established. The purpose of the pilot project is to assist individual providers with the collection of community options program entry system client participation money.
     (2) The department of social and health services will administer the pilot project by contracting with a third party to collect the participation amount owed to the individual provider. The third party must pay the individual provider for the wages earned associated with the client's participation amount. The third party will collect the participation amount owed directly from the client. The individual providers will invoice the state's social services payment system as they currently do for all hours worked.
     (3) Individual providers wishing to participate in the pilot project must meet participation criteria established by the department and be authorized by area agency of aging case managers and home community services social workers. The department shall limit individual provider participation to prevent an overexpenditure of the appropriation made under this act.
     (4) A third party wishing to participate in the project must demonstrate to the department of social and health services that it has the capability to manage the pilot project and demonstrate that it has successfully worked with frail seniors, collected participation amounts, and managed issues of home care workers.
     (5) The pilot project is to take place in a county chosen by the department of social and health services based on need and the ability to gather data for the reporting requirement in section 2 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The department of social and health services must report on the results of the pilot project to the appropriate committees of the legislature. The report must be in two phases. The first report must be made by December 1, 2006, and the final report must be made by June 1, 2007. The final report must include recommendations for funding a future program including a revenue neutral option, an analysis as to why participation is not being paid and any available solutions, and a comparison of collected amounts under the pilot project to collected amounts without the pilot project to determine whether the pilot project is cost-effective.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   The sum of forty-nine thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007, from the general fund to the department of social and health services for the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   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 June 1, 2006.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   This act expires July 1, 2007.