BILL REQ. #: S-4673.1
| State of Washington | 61st Legislature | 2010 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/05/10.
AN ACT Relating to emergency departments that are not physically connected to a hospital; adding a new section to chapter 70.41 RCW; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that there is a clear
public interest in studying and evaluating the impact of freestanding
emergency rooms so as to make informed decisions about whether they
should be subject to certificate of need or other regulation and, if
so, the appropriate scope of that regulation.
In addition, the legislature finds that the certificate of need
process itself needs further review as to whether it appropriately
balances the health planning needs of community service areas. Before
any new facility categories are subjected to the certificate of need
process, a thorough review of its application in new settings is
necessary.
A freestanding emergency room means an emergency department that is
not physically connected or adjacent to a hospital licensed under
chapter 70.41 RCW.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 70.41 RCW
to read as follows:
The legislature declares a two-year moratorium on the construction
review and licensure approval of freestanding emergency rooms not under
construction by the effective date of this act to allow for a study and
evaluation of the impact of freestanding emergency rooms to take place.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 The Washington state hospital association
may fund and sponsor a study of freestanding emergency rooms. It is
recommended that, at a minimum, the study address factors related to
access to care, patient safety, quality outcomes, costs to the
consumer, and the impact upon Washington's existing freestanding and
hospital-based emergency medical delivery system. The study and any
recommendations from the study of freestanding emergency rooms must be
submitted to the legislature by January 1, 2011.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4 This act expires July 1, 2013.