ESHB 2954 -
By Committee on Ways & Means
NOT CONSIDERED 04/12/2010
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"Sec. 1 RCW 18.51.050 and 1991 sp.s. c 8 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1)(a) Upon receipt of an application for a license, the department
shall issue a license if the applicant and the nursing home's
facilities meet the requirements established under this chapter, except
that the department shall issue a temporary license to a court-appointed receiver for a period not to exceed six months from the date
of appointment((. Prior to the issuance or renewal of the license, the
licensee shall pay a license fee as established by));
(b) The department shall, by rule, set an annual per bed license
fee to be paid upon application for a nursing home license and upon
license renewal. The annual license fee shall be set in an amount
sufficient to fully fund, but not exceed, the costs of the licensure,
inspection, and regulation of nursing homes. Beginning July 1, 2011,
prior to proposing any changes to the license fee, the department shall
ensure that it has examined the licensure, inspection, and regulatory
activities, that the department is operating an efficient and cost-effective program, and that the adjustment in fees is necessary for the
continued operation of the program. No fee shall be required of
government operated institutions or court-appointed receivers((.));
((All licenses issued under the provisions of this chapter)) (c) A
license issued under this chapter shall not exceed thirty-six months in
duration, and it shall expire on a date ((to be)) set by the
department((, but no license issued pursuant to this chapter shall
exceed thirty-six months in duration.)); and
((When)) (d) In the event of a change of ownership ((occurs)), the
((entity becoming the licensed operating entity of the facility shall
pay a fee established by the department at the time of application for
the license. The previously determined date of license expiration
shall not change. The department shall establish license fees at an
amount adequate to reimburse the department in full for all costs of
its licensing activities for nursing homes, adjusted to cover the
department's cost of reimbursing such fees through medicaid))
previously established license expiration date shall not change. The
proposed licensee must ensure payment of any unpaid portion of the
license fee, pending the next scheduled license renewal date.
(2) All applications and fees for renewal of the license shall be
submitted to the department not later than thirty days prior to the
date of expiration of the license. All applications and fees, if any,
for change of ownership ((licenses)) shall be submitted to the
department not later than sixty days before the date of the proposed
change of ownership. ((Each)) A nursing home license shall be issued
only to the ((operating entity and those persons named in the license
application)) person that applied for the license. The license is
valid only for the operation of the facility at the location specified
in the license application. Licenses are not transferable or
assignable. Licenses shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the
licensed premises.
Sec. 2 RCW 18.20.050 and 2004 c 140 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1)(a) Upon receipt of an application for license, if the applicant
and the boarding home's facilities meet the requirements established
under this chapter, the department shall issue a license. If there is
a failure to comply with the provisions of this chapter or the
((standards and)) rules adopted ((pursuant thereto)) under this
chapter, the department may in its discretion issue a provisional
license to an applicant for a license, or for the renewal of a
license((, a)). A provisional license ((which)) will permit the
operation of the boarding home for a period to be determined by the
department, but not to exceed twelve months((, which provisional
license)) and shall not be subject to renewal. The department may also
place conditions on the license under RCW 18.20.190. ((At the time of
the application for or renewal of a license or provisional license the
licensee shall pay a license fee as established by the))
(b) The department ((under RCW 43.20B.110)) shall, by rule, set an
annual per bed license fee to be paid upon application for a boarding
home license and upon license renewal. The annual license fee shall be
set in an amount sufficient to fully fund, but not exceed, the costs of
the licensure, inspection, and regulation of boarding homes. Beginning
July 1, 2011, prior to proposing any changes to the license fee, the
department shall ensure that it has examined the licensure, inspection,
and regulatory activities, that the department is operating an
efficient and cost-effective program, and that the adjustment in fees
is necessary for the continued operation of the program.
((All licenses issued under the provisions of this chapter shall
expire on a date to be set by the department, but no license issued
pursuant to this chapter shall exceed twelve months in duration.
However, when the annual license renewal date of a previously licensed
boarding home is set by the department on a date less than twelve
months prior to the expiration date of a license in effect at the time
of reissuance, the license fee shall be prorated on a monthly basis and
a credit be allowed at the first renewal of a license for any period of
one month or more covered by the previous license.)) (c) A license
issued under this chapter shall not exceed twelve months in duration
and it shall expire on a date set by the department. A boarding home
license shall be issued only to the person that applied for the
license. All applications for renewal of a license shall be made not
later than thirty days prior to the date of expiration of the license.
Each license shall be issued only for the premises and persons named in
the application, and no license shall be transferable or assignable.
Licenses shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the licensed
premises.
(2) A licensee who receives notification of the department's
initiation of a denial, suspension, nonrenewal, or revocation of a
boarding home license may, in lieu of appealing the department's
action, surrender or relinquish the license. The department shall not
issue a new license to or contract with the licensee, for the purposes
of providing care to vulnerable adults or children, for a period of
twenty years following the surrendering or relinquishment of the former
license. The licensing record shall indicate that the licensee
relinquished or surrendered the license, without admitting the
violations, after receiving notice of the department's initiation of a
denial, suspension, nonrenewal, or revocation of a license.
(3) The department shall establish, by rule, the circumstances
requiring a change in licensee, which include, but are not limited to,
a change in ownership or control of the boarding home or licensee, a
change in the licensee's form of legal organization, such as from sole
proprietorship to partnership or corporation, and a dissolution or
merger of the licensed entity with another legal organization. The new
licensee is subject to the provisions of this chapter, the rules
adopted under this chapter, and other applicable law. In order to
ensure that the safety of residents is not compromised by a change in
licensee, the new licensee is responsible for correction of all
violations that may exist at the time of the new license.
(4) The department may deny, suspend, modify, revoke, or refuse to
renew a license when the department finds that the applicant or
licensee or any partner, officer, director, managerial employee, or
majority owner of the applicant or licensee:
(a) Operated a boarding home without a license or under a revoked
or suspended license; or
(b) Knowingly or with reason to know made a false statement of a
material fact (i) in an application for license or any data attached to
the application, or (ii) in any matter under investigation by the
department; or
(c) Refused to allow representatives or agents of the department to
inspect (i) the books, records, and files required to be maintained, or
(ii) any portion of the premises of the boarding home; or
(d) Willfully prevented, interfered with, or attempted to impede in
any way (i) the work of any authorized representative of the
department, or (ii) the lawful enforcement of any provision of this
chapter; or
(e) Has a history of significant noncompliance with federal or
state regulations in providing care or services to vulnerable adults or
children. In deciding whether to deny, suspend, modify, revoke, or
refuse to renew a license under this section, the factors the
department considers shall include the gravity and frequency of the
noncompliance.
(5) The department shall serve upon the applicant a copy of the
decision granting or denying an application for a license. An
applicant shall have the right to contest denial of his or her
application for a license as provided in chapter 34.05 RCW by
requesting a hearing in writing within twenty-eight days after receipt
of the notice of denial.
Sec. 3 RCW 70.128.060 and 2009 c 530 s 5 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) An application for license shall be made to the department upon
forms provided by it and shall contain such information as the
department reasonably requires.
(2) Subject to the provisions of this section, the department shall
issue a license to an adult family home if the department finds that
the applicant and the home are in compliance with this chapter and the
rules adopted under this chapter, unless (a) the applicant or a person
affiliated with the applicant has prior violations of this chapter
relating to the adult family home subject to the application or any
other adult family home, or of any other law regulating residential
care facilities within the past five years that resulted in revocation,
suspension, or nonrenewal of a license or contract with the department;
or (b) the applicant or a person affiliated with the applicant has a
history of significant noncompliance with federal, state, or local
laws, rules, or regulations relating to the provision of care or
services to vulnerable adults or to children. A person is considered
affiliated with an applicant if the person is listed on the license
application as a partner, officer, director, resident manager, or
majority owner of the applying entity, or is the spouse of the
applicant.
(3) The license fee shall be submitted with the application.
(4) The department shall serve upon the applicant a copy of the
decision granting or denying an application for a license. An
applicant shall have the right to contest denial of his or her
application for a license as provided in chapter 34.05 RCW by
requesting a hearing in writing within twenty-eight days after receipt
of the notice of denial.
(5) The department shall not issue a license to a provider if the
department finds that the provider or spouse of the provider or any
partner, officer, director, managerial employee, or majority owner has
a history of significant noncompliance with federal or state
regulations, rules, or laws in providing care or services to vulnerable
adults or to children.
(6) The department shall license an adult family home for the
maximum level of care that the adult family home may provide. The
department shall define, in rule, license levels based upon the
education, training, and caregiving experience of the licensed provider
or staff.
(7) The department shall establish, by rule, standards used to
license nonresident providers and multiple facility operators.
(8) The department shall establish, by rule, for multiple facility
operators educational standards substantially equivalent to recognized
national certification standards for residential care administrators.
(9) ((The license fee shall be set at one hundred dollars per year
for each home. An eight hundred dollar processing fee shall also be
charged each home when the home is initially licensed. The processing
fee will be applied toward the license renewal in the subsequent three
years. A five hundred dollar rebate will be returned to any home that
renews after four years in operation.)) The initial processing and
annual renewal license fees shall be established by the legislature in
the biennial budget act for fiscal year 2011. Effective July 1, 2011,
the department shall, by rule, establish initial processing and annual
license fees for an adult family home license. The initial processing
and annual license fee shall be set in an amount sufficient to fully
fund, but not exceed, the costs of the licensure, inspection, and
regulation of adult family homes. Beginning July 1, 2012, prior to
proposing any changes to the license fee, the department shall ensure
that it has examined the licensure, inspection, and regulatory
activities, that the department is operating an efficient and cost-effective program, and that the adjustment in fees is necessary for the
continued operation of the program.
(10) A provider who receives notification of the department's
initiation of a denial, suspension, nonrenewal, or revocation of an
adult family home license may, in lieu of appealing the department's
action, surrender or relinquish the license. The department shall not
issue a new license to or contract with the provider, for the purposes
of providing care to vulnerable adults or children, for a period of
twenty years following the surrendering or relinquishment of the former
license. The licensing record shall indicate that the provider
relinquished or surrendered the license, without admitting the
violations, after receiving notice of the department's initiation of a
denial, suspension, nonrenewal, or revocation of a license.
(11) The department shall establish, by rule, the circumstances
requiring a change in the licensed provider, which include, but are not
limited to, a change in ownership or control of the adult family home
or provider, a change in the provider's form of legal organization,
such as from sole proprietorship to partnership or corporation, and a
dissolution or merger of the licensed entity with another legal
organization. The new provider is subject to the provisions of this
chapter, the rules adopted under this chapter, and other applicable
law. In order to ensure that the safety of residents is not
compromised by a change in provider, the new provider is responsible
for correction of all violations that may exist at the time of the new
license.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4 A new section is added to chapter 43.20A RCW
to read as follows:
(1) It is the intent of the legislature that the costs of each
long-term care facility licensing and regulatory program be fully borne
by the facilities. With the information provided in the report under
subsection (2) of this section, the legislature intends to identify the
licensing fees for each facility that would be sufficient to defray the
costs of administering the licensing and regulatory program for those
facilities.
(2) Beginning December 1, 2010, and annually thereafter, the
department shall provide a licensing fee report to the legislature on
nursing homes, boarding homes, and adult family homes. The report
shall include:
(a) Information on initial licensing including but not limited to:
(i) The number of initial facility inspections; and
(ii) The number of initial licensing follow-up inspections by
facility type;
(b) Information on licensing renewals, including but not limited
to:
(i) The number of licensing renewal full inspections;
(ii) The number of follow-up inspections; and
(iii) The average length of time between renewal inspections by
facility type;
(c) Information on complaint investigations including but not
limited to:
(i) The total number of complaint investigations by facility type;
(ii) The number of complaint investigations by priority and
facility type; and
(iii) The percent of complaints per bed by facility type; and
(d) Information on licensing and regulatory costs for the previous
fiscal year including but not limited to:
(i) The total costs for licensing and regulatory activities by
facility type;
(ii) The percentage of total state operating costs for licensing
and regulatory activities that are covered through licensing fees; and
(iii) The estimated fee amount that would be needed in order to
cover the total state costs of licensing and regulatory activities, by
facility type.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5 This act takes effect July 1, 2010."
ESHB 2954 -
By Committee on Ways & Means
NOT CONSIDERED 04/12/2010
On page 1, line 2 of the title, after "homes;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "amending RCW 18.51.050, 18.20.050, and 70.128.060; adding a new section to chapter 43.20A RCW; and providing an effective date."