BILL REQ. #:  H-1670.1 

Read first time 02/11/09.   Referred to Committee on Health Care & Wellness.

     AN ACT Relating to limiting the fees charged to license midwives; amending RCW 43.70.250; and adding a new section to chapter 43.70 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 43.70 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) When setting fees for the licensure of midwives under chapter 18.50 RCW, the secretary shall consider the number of midwives in the profession and the benefit costs of midwifery to the consumers of this state. The fee for the issuance, renewal, or reissuance of a license for a midwife under chapter 18.50 RCW may not exceed twenty percent of the costs of the midwifery licensing program or four hundred fifty dollars per year, whichever is less.
     (2) The secretary may not use the fees assessed to any other profession to defray the costs of the midwifery licensing program that exceed the fees collected from licensed midwives.

Sec. 2   RCW 43.70.250 and 2006 c 72 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     Except as provided in section 1 of this act, it shall be the policy of the state of Washington that the cost of each professional, occupational, or business licensing program be fully borne by the members of that profession, occupation, or business. The secretary shall from time to time establish the amount of all application fees, license fees, registration fees, examination fees, permit fees, renewal fees, and any other fee associated with licensing or regulation of professions, occupations, or businesses administered by the department. In fixing said fees, the secretary shall set the fees for each program at a sufficient level to defray the costs of administering that program and the cost of regulating licensed volunteer medical workers in accordance with RCW 18.130.360, except as provided in: (1) RCW 18.79.202 until June 30, 2013, and (2) section 1 of this act. All such fees shall be fixed by rule adopted by the secretary in accordance with the provisions of the administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW.