Finds that Washington state has developed a strong community-based long-term care system in an effort to honor the desire of elderly persons and persons with disabilities to live in their own home or other home-like settings and to provide long-term care services in a cost-effective manner. More than fifteen percent of adults over age sixty-five in Washington state have diabetes. Current nurse delegation statutes limit the ability of elderly and disabled persons with diabetes to remain in their own homes or in other home-like long-term care settings.

Declares the intent to modify nurse delegation statutes to the extent needed to enable elderly persons and persons with disabilities who have diabetes to continue to reside in their own home or other home-like settings.

Provides that in community-based or in-home care settings, the tasks of diabetic insulin device set up and verbal verification of insulin dosage for sight-impaired individuals is not required to be delegated from a registered nurse to a registered or certified nursing assistant.

Declares that the administration of insulin by injection to certified nursing assistants for the purpose of caring for individuals with diabetes may be delegated. When delegating insulin injections, the registered nurse delegator must supervise and evaluate the individual performing the delegated task weekly during the first four weeks of delegation of insulin injections. If the registered nurse delegator determines that the individual is competent to perform the injection properly and safely, supervision and evaluation shall occur at least every ninety days thereafter.

Provides that before commencing the care of individuals with diabetes that involves administration of insulin by injection, the certified nursing assistant must provide to the delegating nurse a certificate of completion issued by the department of social and health services indicating completion of specialized diabetes nurse delegation training.