BILL REQ. #:  S-5175.2 

Read first time 03/01/10.   Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

     AN ACT Relating to transferring the functions of the home care quality authority to the department of social and health services; amending RCW 41.56.030, 43.105.340, 74.39A.095, 74.39A.220, 74.39A.240, 74.39A.260, and 74.39A.250; reenacting and amending RCW 74.39A.270; creating new sections; decodifying RCW 74.39A.290; repealing RCW 70.127.041, 74.39A.230, and 74.39A.280; and providing an effective date.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 41.56.030 and 2007 c 184 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     As used in this chapter:
     (1) "Public employer" means any officer, board, commission, council, or other person or body acting on behalf of any public body governed by this chapter, or any subdivision of such public body. For the purposes of this section, the public employer of district court or superior court employees for wage-related matters is the respective county legislative authority, or person or body acting on behalf of the legislative authority, and the public employer for nonwage-related matters is the judge or judge's designee of the respective district court or superior court.
     (2) "Public employee" means any employee of a public employer except any person (a) elected by popular vote, or (b) appointed to office pursuant to statute, ordinance or resolution for a specified term of office as a member of a multimember board, commission, or committee, whether appointed by the executive head or body of the public employer, or (c) whose duties as deputy, administrative assistant or secretary necessarily imply a confidential relationship to (i) the executive head or body of the applicable bargaining unit, or (ii) any person elected by popular vote, or (iii) any person appointed to office pursuant to statute, ordinance or resolution for a specified term of office as a member of a multimember board, commission, or committee, whether appointed by the executive head or body of the public employer, or (d) who is a court commissioner or a court magistrate of superior court, district court, or a department of a district court organized under chapter 3.46 RCW, or (e) who is a personal assistant to a district court judge, superior court judge, or court commissioner. For the purpose of (e) of this subsection, no more than one assistant for each judge or commissioner may be excluded from a bargaining unit.
     (3) "Bargaining representative" means any lawful organization which has as one of its primary purposes the representation of employees in their employment relations with employers.
     (4) "Collective bargaining" means the performance of the mutual obligations of the public employer and the exclusive bargaining representative to meet at reasonable times, to confer and negotiate in good faith, and to execute a written agreement with respect to grievance procedures and collective negotiations on personnel matters, including wages, hours and working conditions, which may be peculiar to an appropriate bargaining unit of such public employer, except that by such obligation neither party shall be compelled to agree to a proposal or be required to make a concession unless otherwise provided in this chapter.
     (5) "Commission" means the public employment relations commission.
     (6) "Executive director" means the executive director of the commission.
     (7) "Uniformed personnel" means: (a) Law enforcement officers as defined in RCW 41.26.030 employed by the governing body of any city or town with a population of two thousand five hundred or more and law enforcement officers employed by the governing body of any county with a population of ten thousand or more; (b) correctional employees who are uniformed and nonuniformed, commissioned and noncommissioned security personnel employed in a jail as defined in RCW 70.48.020(((5))) (9), by a county with a population of seventy thousand or more, and who are trained for and charged with the responsibility of controlling and maintaining custody of inmates in the jail and safeguarding inmates from other inmates; (c) general authority Washington peace officers as defined in RCW 10.93.020 employed by a port district in a county with a population of one million or more; (d) security forces established under RCW 43.52.520; (e) firefighters as that term is defined in RCW 41.26.030; (f) employees of a port district in a county with a population of one million or more whose duties include crash fire rescue or other firefighting duties; (g) employees of fire departments of public employers who dispatch exclusively either fire or emergency medical services, or both; or (h) employees in the several classes of advanced life support technicians, as defined in RCW 18.71.200, who are employed by a public employer.
     (8) "Institution of higher education" means the University of Washington, Washington State University, Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Western Washington University, The Evergreen State College, and the various state community colleges.
     (9) (("Home care quality authority" means the authority under chapter 74.39A RCW.
     (10))) "Individual provider" means an individual provider as defined in RCW 74.39A.240(4) who, solely for the purposes of collective bargaining, is a public employee as provided in RCW 74.39A.270.
     (((11))) (10) "Child care subsidy" means a payment from the state through a child care subsidy program established pursuant to RCW 74.12.340 or 74.08A.340, 45 C.F.R. Sec. 98.1 through 98.17, or any successor program.
     (((12))) (11) "Family child care provider" means a person who: (a) Provides regularly scheduled care for a child or children in the home of the provider or in the home of the child or children for periods of less than twenty-four hours or, if necessary due to the nature of the parent's work, for periods equal to or greater than twenty-four hours; (b) receives child care subsidies; and (c) is either licensed by the state under RCW 74.15.030 or is exempt from licensing under chapter 74.15 RCW.
     (((13))) (12) "Adult family home provider" means a provider as defined in RCW 70.128.010 who receives payments from the medicaid and state-funded long-term care programs.

Sec. 2   RCW 43.105.340 and 2008 c 151 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The department shall coordinate among state agencies to develop a consumer protection web site. The web site shall serve as a one-stop web site for consumer information. At a minimum, the web site must provide links to information on:
     (a) Insurance information provided by the office of the insurance commissioner, including information on how to file consumer complaints against insurance companies, how to look up authorized insurers, and how to learn more about health insurance benefits;
     (b) Child care information provided by the department of early learning, including how to select a child care provider, how child care providers are rated, and information about product recalls;
     (c) Financial information provided by the department of financial institutions, including consumer information on financial fraud, investing, credit, and enforcement actions;
     (d) Health care information provided by the department of health, including health care provider listings and quality assurance information;
     (e) ((Home care information provided by the home care quality authority, including information to assist consumers in finding an in-home provider;
     (f))) Licensing information provided by the department of licensing, including information regarding business, vehicle, and professional licensing; and
     (((g))) (f) Other information available on existing state agency web sites that could be a helpful resource for consumers.
     (2) By July 1, 2008, state agencies shall report to the department on whether they maintain resources for consumers that could be made available through the consumer protection web site.
     (3) By September 1, 2008, the department shall make the consumer protection web site available to the public.
     (4) After September 1, 2008, the department, in coordination with other state agencies, shall develop a plan on how to build upon the consumer protection web site to create a consumer protection portal. The plan must also include an examination of the feasibility of developing a toll-free information line to support the consumer protection portal. The plan must be submitted to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2008.

Sec. 3   RCW 74.39A.095 and 2009 c 580 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) In carrying out case management responsibilities established under RCW 74.39A.090 for consumers who are receiving services under the medicaid personal care, community options programs entry system or chore services program through an individual provider, each area agency on aging shall provide oversight of the care being provided to consumers receiving services under this section to the extent of available funding. Case management responsibilities incorporate this oversight, and include, but are not limited to:
     (a) Verification that any individual provider ((who has not been referred to a consumer by the authority)) has met any training requirements established by the department;
     (b) Verification of a sample of worker time sheets;
     (c) Monitoring the consumer's plan of care to verify that it adequately meets the needs of the consumer, through activities such as home visits, telephone contacts, and responses to information received by the area agency on aging indicating that a consumer may be experiencing problems relating to his or her home care;
     (d) Reassessing and reauthorizing services;
     (e) Monitoring of individual provider performance. If, in the course of its case management activities, the area agency on aging identifies concerns regarding the care being provided by an individual provider ((who was referred by the authority)), the area agency on aging must notify the ((authority)) department regarding its concerns; and
     (f) Conducting criminal background checks or verifying that criminal background checks have been conducted for any individual provider ((who has not been referred to a consumer by the authority)). Individual providers who are hired after January 1, 2012, are subject to background checks under RCW 74.39A.055.
     (2) The area agency on aging case manager shall work with each consumer to develop a plan of care under this section that identifies and ensures coordination of health and long-term care services that meet the consumer's needs. In developing the plan, they shall utilize, and modify as needed, any comprehensive community service plan developed by the department as provided in RCW 74.39A.040. The plan of care shall include, at a minimum:
     (a) The name and telephone number of the consumer's area agency on aging case manager, and a statement as to how the case manager can be contacted about any concerns related to the consumer's well-being or the adequacy of care provided;
     (b) The name and telephone numbers of the consumer's primary health care provider, and other health or long-term care providers with whom the consumer has frequent contacts;
     (c) A clear description of the roles and responsibilities of the area agency on aging case manager and the consumer receiving services under this section;
     (d) The duties and tasks to be performed by the area agency on aging case manager and the consumer receiving services under this section;
     (e) The type of in-home services authorized, and the number of hours of services to be provided;
     (f) The terms of compensation of the individual provider;
     (g) A statement by the individual provider that he or she has the ability and willingness to carry out his or her responsibilities relative to the plan of care; and
     (h)(i) Except as provided in (h)(ii) of this subsection, a clear statement indicating that a consumer receiving services under this section has the right to waive any of the case management services offered by the area agency on aging under this section, and a clear indication of whether the consumer has, in fact, waived any of these services.
     (ii) The consumer's right to waive case management services does not include the right to waive reassessment or reauthorization of services, or verification that services are being provided in accordance with the plan of care.
     (3) Each area agency on aging shall retain a record of each waiver of services included in a plan of care under this section.
     (4) Each consumer has the right to direct and participate in the development of their plan of care to the maximum practicable extent of their abilities and desires, and to be provided with the time and support necessary to facilitate that participation.
     (5) A copy of the plan of care must be distributed to the consumer's primary care provider, individual provider, and other relevant providers with whom the consumer has frequent contact, as authorized by the consumer.
     (6) The consumer's plan of care shall be an attachment to the contract between the department, or their designee, and the individual provider.
     (7) If the department or area agency on aging case manager finds that an individual provider's inadequate performance or inability to deliver quality care is jeopardizing the health, safety, or well-being of a consumer receiving service under this section, the department or the area agency on aging may take action to terminate the contract between the department and the individual provider. If the department or the area agency on aging has a reasonable, good faith belief that the health, safety, or well-being of a consumer is in imminent jeopardy, the department or area agency on aging may summarily suspend the contract pending a fair hearing. The consumer may request a fair hearing to contest the planned action of the case manager, as provided in chapter 34.05 RCW. ((When the department or area agency on aging terminates or summarily suspends a contract under this subsection, it must provide oral and written notice of the action taken to the authority.)) The department may by rule adopt guidelines for implementing this subsection.
     (8) The department or area agency on aging may reject a request by a consumer receiving services under this section to have a family member or other person serve as his or her individual provider if the case manager has a reasonable, good faith belief that the family member or other person will be unable to appropriately meet the care needs of the consumer. The consumer may request a fair hearing to contest the decision of the case manager, as provided in chapter 34.05 RCW. The department may by rule adopt guidelines for implementing this subsection.

Sec. 4   RCW 74.39A.220 and 2002 c 3 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     The people of the state of Washington find as follows:
     (1) Thousands of Washington seniors and persons with disabilities live independently in their own homes, which they prefer and is less costly than institutional care such as nursing homes.
     (2) Many Washington seniors and persons with disabilities currently receive long-term in-home care services from individual providers hired directly by them under the medicaid personal care, community options programs entry system, or chore services program.
     (3) Quality long-term in-home care services allow Washington seniors, persons with disabilities, and their families the choice of allowing seniors and persons with disabilities to remain in their homes, rather than forcing them into institutional care such as nursing homes. Long-term in-home care services are also less costly, saving Washington taxpayers significant amounts through lower reimbursement rates.
     (4) The quality of long-term in-home care services in Washington would benefit from improved regulation, higher standards, better accountability, and improved access to such services. The quality of long-term in-home care services would further be improved by a well-trained, stable individual provider workforce earning reasonable wages and benefits.
     (5) ((Washington seniors and persons with disabilities would benefit from the establishment of an authority that has the power and duty to regulate and improve the quality of long-term in-home care services.
     (6))) The ((authority)) state should ensure that the quality of long-term in-home care services provided by individual providers is improved through better regulation, higher standards, increased accountability, and the enhanced ability to obtain services. The ((authority)) state should also encourage stability in the individual provider workforce through collective bargaining and by providing training opportunities.

Sec. 5   RCW 74.39A.240 and 2002 c 3 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     The definitions in this section apply throughout RCW 74.39A.030 ((and)), 74.39A.095 ((and)), 74.39A.220 through 74.39A.300, and 41.56.026((, 70.127.041, and 74.09.740)) unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (1) (("Authority" means the home care quality authority.
     (2) "Board" means the board created under RCW 74.39A.230.
     (3))) "Consumer" means a person to whom an individual provider provides any such services.
     (((4))) (2) "Individual provider" means a person, including a personal aide, who has contracted with the department to provide personal care or respite care services to functionally disabled persons under the medicaid personal care, community options program entry system, chore services program, or respite care program, or to provide respite care or residential services and support to persons with developmental disabilities under chapter 71A.12 RCW, or to provide respite care as defined in RCW 74.13.270.

Sec. 6   RCW 74.39A.260 and 2009 c 580 s 9 are each amended to read as follows:
     The department must perform criminal background checks for individual providers and prospective individual providers ((and ensure that the authority has ready access to any long-term care abuse and neglect registry used by the department)). Individual providers who are hired after January 1, 2012, are subject to background checks under RCW 74.39A.055.

Sec. 7   RCW 74.39A.270 and 2007 c 361 s 7 and 2007 c 278 s 3 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1) Solely for the purposes of collective bargaining and as expressly limited under subsections (2) and (3) of this section, the governor is the public employer, as defined in chapter 41.56 RCW, of individual providers, who, solely for the purposes of collective bargaining, are public employees as defined in chapter 41.56 RCW. To accommodate the role of the state as payor for the community-based services provided under this chapter and to ensure coordination with state employee collective bargaining under chapter 41.80 RCW and the coordination necessary to implement RCW 74.39A.300, the public employer shall be represented for bargaining purposes by the governor or the governor's designee appointed under chapter 41.80 RCW. The governor or governor's designee shall periodically consult with the ((authority)) department during the collective bargaining process to allow the ((authority)) department to communicate issues relating to the long-term in-home care services received by consumers. The governor or the governor's designee shall consult the ((authority)) department on all issues for which the exclusive bargaining representative requests to engage in collective bargaining under subsections (5) and (6) ((and (7))) of this section. The ((authority)) department shall work with the developmental disabilities council, the governor's committee on disability issues and employment, the state council on aging, and other consumer advocacy organizations to obtain informed input from consumers on their interests, including impacts on consumer choice, for all issues proposed for collective bargaining under subsections (5) and (6) ((and (7))) of this section.
     (2) Chapter 41.56 RCW governs the collective bargaining relationship between the governor and individual providers, except as otherwise expressly provided in this chapter and except as follows:
     (a) The only unit appropriate for the purpose of collective bargaining under RCW 41.56.060 is a statewide unit of all individual providers;
     (b) The showing of interest required to request an election under RCW 41.56.060 is ten percent of the unit, and any intervener seeking to appear on the ballot must make the same showing of interest;
     (c) The mediation and interest arbitration provisions of RCW 41.56.430 through 41.56.470 and 41.56.480 apply, except that:
     (i) With respect to commencement of negotiations between the governor and the bargaining representative of individual providers, negotiations shall be commenced by May 1st of any year prior to the year in which an existing collective bargaining agreement expires; and
     (ii) The decision of the arbitration panel is not binding on the legislature and, if the legislature does not approve the request for funds necessary to implement the compensation and fringe benefit provisions of the arbitrated collective bargaining agreement, is not binding on ((the authority or)) the state;
     (d) Individual providers do not have the right to strike; and
     (e) Individual providers who are related to, or family members of, consumers or prospective consumers are not, for that reason, exempt from this chapter or chapter 41.56 RCW.
     (3) Individual providers who are public employees solely for the purposes of collective bargaining under subsection (1) of this section are not, for that reason, employees of the state, its political subdivisions, or an area agency on aging for any purpose. Chapter 41.56 RCW applies only to the governance of the collective bargaining relationship between the employer and individual providers as provided in subsections (1) and (2) of this section.
     (4) Consumers and prospective consumers retain the right to select, hire, supervise the work of, and terminate any individual provider providing services to them. ((Consumers may elect to receive long-term in-home care services from individual providers who are not referred to them by the authority.))
     (5) ((In implementing and administering this chapter, neither the authority nor any of its contractors may reduce or increase the hours of service for any consumer below or above the amount determined to be necessary under any assessment prepared by the department or an area agency on aging.
     (6))) Except as expressly limited in this section and RCW 74.39A.300, the wages, hours, and working conditions of individual providers are determined solely through collective bargaining as provided in this chapter. No agency or department of the state may establish policies or rules governing the wages or hours of individual providers. However, this subsection does not modify:
     (a) The department's authority to establish a plan of care for each consumer or its core responsibility to manage long-term in-home care services under this chapter, including determination of the level of care that each consumer is eligible to receive. However, at the request of the exclusive bargaining representative, the governor or the governor's designee appointed under chapter 41.80 RCW shall engage in collective bargaining, as defined in RCW 41.56.030(4), with the exclusive bargaining representative over how the department's core responsibility affects hours of work for individual providers. This subsection shall not be interpreted to require collective bargaining over an individual consumer's plan of care;
     (b) The department's authority to terminate its contracts with individual providers who are not adequately meeting the needs of a particular consumer, or to deny a contract under RCW 74.39A.095(8);
     (c) The consumer's right to assign hours to one or more individual providers selected by the consumer within the maximum hours determined by his or her plan of care;
     (d) The consumer's right to select, hire, terminate, supervise the work of, and determine the conditions of employment for each individual provider providing services to the consumer under this chapter;
     (e) The department's obligation to comply with the federal medicaid statute and regulations and the terms of any community-based waiver granted by the federal department of health and human services and to ensure federal financial participation in the provision of the services; and
     (f) The legislature's right to make programmatic modifications to the delivery of state services under this title, including standards of eligibility of consumers and individual providers participating in the programs under this title, and the nature of services provided. The governor shall not enter into, extend, or renew any agreement under this chapter that does not expressly reserve the legislative rights described in this subsection (((6))) (5)(f).
     (((7))) (6) At the request of the exclusive bargaining representative, the governor or the governor's designee appointed under chapter 41.80 RCW shall engage in collective bargaining, as defined in RCW 41.56.030(4), with the exclusive bargaining representative over employer contributions to the training partnership for the costs of: (a) Meeting all training and peer mentoring required under this chapter; and (b) other training intended to promote the career development of individual providers.
     (((8)(a))) (7) The state, the department, ((the authority,)) the area agencies on aging, or their contractors under this chapter may not be held vicariously or jointly liable for the action or inaction of any individual provider or prospective individual provider, whether or not that individual provider or prospective individual provider was included on the ((authority's)) referral registry or referred to a consumer or prospective consumer. The existence of a collective bargaining agreement, the placement of an individual provider on the referral registry, or the development or approval of a plan of care for a consumer who chooses to use the services of an individual provider and the provision of case management services to that consumer, by the department or an area agency on aging, does not constitute a special relationship with the consumer.
     (((b) The members of the board are immune from any liability resulting from implementation of this chapter.
     (9))) (8) Nothing in this section affects the state's responsibility with respect to unemployment insurance for individual providers. However, individual providers are not to be considered, as a result of the state assuming this responsibility, employees of the state.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8   (1) The home care quality authority is hereby abolished and its powers, duties, and functions are hereby transferred to the department of social and health services. All references to the home care quality authority in the Revised Code of Washington shall be construed to mean the department of social and health services.
     (2)(a) All reports, documents, surveys, books, records, files, papers, or written material in the possession of the home care quality authority shall be delivered to the custody of the department of social and health services. All cabinets, furniture, office equipment, motor vehicles, and other tangible property employed by the home care quality authority shall be made available to the department of social and health services. All funds, credits, or other assets held by the home care quality authority shall be assigned to the department of social and health services.
     (b) Any appropriations made to the home care quality authority shall, on the effective date of this section, be transferred and credited to the department of social and health services.
     (c) If any question arises as to the transfer of any funds, books, documents, records, papers, files, equipment, or other tangible property used or held in the exercise of the powers and the performance of the duties and functions transferred, the director of financial management shall make a determination as to the proper allocation and certify the same to the state agencies concerned.
     (3) All rules and all pending business before the home care quality authority shall be continued and acted upon by the department of social and health services. All existing contracts and obligations shall remain in full force and shall be performed by the department of social and health services.
     (4) The transfer of the powers, duties, functions, and personnel of the home care quality authority shall not affect the validity of any act performed before the effective date of this section.
     (5) If apportionments of budgeted funds are required because of the transfers directed by this section, the director of financial management shall certify the apportionments to the agencies affected, the state auditor, and the state treasurer. Each of these shall make the appropriate transfer and adjustments in funds and appropriation accounts and equipment records in accordance with the certification.
     (6) Nothing contained in this section may be construed to alter any existing collective bargaining unit or the provisions of any existing collective bargaining agreement until the agreement has expired or until the bargaining unit has been modified by action of the public employment relations commission as provided by law.

Sec. 9   RCW 74.39A.250 and 2002 c 3 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The ((authority)) department must carry out the following duties:
     (a) Establish qualifications and reasonable standards for accountability for and investigate the background of individual providers and prospective individual providers, except in cases where, after the department has sought approval of any appropriate amendments or waivers ((under RCW 74.09.740,)) federal law or regulation requires that such qualifications and standards for accountability be established by another entity in order to preserve eligibility for federal funding. Qualifications established must include compliance with the minimum requirements for training and satisfactory criminal background checks as provided in RCW 74.39A.050 and confirmation that the individual provider or prospective individual provider is not currently listed on any long-term care abuse and neglect registry used by the department at the time of the investigation;
     (b) Undertake recruiting activities to identify and recruit individual providers and prospective individual providers;
     (c) Provide training opportunities, either directly or through contract, for individual providers, prospective individual providers, consumers, and prospective consumers;
     (d) Provide assistance to consumers and prospective consumers in finding individual providers and prospective individual providers through the establishment of a referral registry of individual providers and prospective individual providers. Before placing an individual provider or prospective individual provider on the referral registry, the ((authority)) department shall determine that:
     (i) The individual provider or prospective individual provider has met the minimum requirements for training set forth in RCW 74.39A.050;
     (ii) The individual provider or prospective individual provider has satisfactorily undergone a criminal background check conducted within the prior twelve months; and
     (iii) The individual provider or prospective individual provider is not listed on any long-term care abuse and neglect registry used by the department;
     (e) Remove from the referral registry any individual provider or prospective individual provider the ((authority)) department determines not to meet the qualifications set forth in (d) of this subsection or to have committed misfeasance or malfeasance in the performance of his or her duties as an individual provider. The individual provider or prospective individual provider, or the consumer to which the individual provider is providing services, may request a fair hearing to contest the removal from the referral registry, as provided in chapter 34.05 RCW;
     (f) Provide routine, emergency, and respite referrals of individual providers and prospective individual providers to consumers and prospective consumers who are authorized to receive long-term in-home care services through an individual provider;
     (g) Give preference in the recruiting, training, referral, and employment of individual providers and prospective individual providers to recipients of public assistance or other low-income persons who would qualify for public assistance in the absence of such employment; and
     (h) Cooperate with ((the department,)) area agencies on aging((,)) and other federal, state, and local agencies to provide the services described and set forth in this section. If, in the course of carrying out its duties, the ((authority)) department identifies concerns regarding the services being provided by an individual provider, the ((authority)) department must notify the relevant area agency or department case manager regarding such concerns.
     (2) In determining how best to carry out its duties, the ((authority)) department must identify existing individual provider recruitment, training, and referral resources made available to consumers by other state and local public, private, and nonprofit agencies. The ((authority)) department may coordinate with the agencies to provide a local presence for the ((authority)) department and to provide consumers greater access to individual provider recruitment, training, and referral resources in a cost-effective manner. Using requests for proposals or similar processes, the ((authority)) department may contract with the agencies to provide recruitment, training, and referral services if the ((authority)) department determines the agencies can provide the services according to reasonable standards of performance determined by the ((authority)) department. The ((authority)) department must provide an opportunity for consumer participation in the determination of the standards.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 10   RCW 74.39A.290 is decodified.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 11   The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:
     (1) RCW 70.127.041 (Home care quality authority not subject to regulation) and 2002 c 3 s 13;
     (2) RCW 74.39A.230 (Authority created) and 2002 c 3 s 2; and
     (3) RCW 74.39A.280 (Powers) and 2002 c 3 s 7.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 12   This act takes effect July 1, 2010.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 13   If any part of this act is found to be in conflict with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition to the allocation of federal funds to the state, the conflicting part of this act is inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict and with respect to the agencies directly affected, and this finding does not affect the operation of the remainder of this act in its application to the agencies concerned. Rules adopted under this act must meet federal requirements that are a necessary condition to the receipt of federal funds by the state.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 14   If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.