SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5360

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Description: Reducing training requirements for developmental disability respite providers working three hundred hours or less in any calendar year. [Revised for 1st Substitute: Reducing training requirements for disability respite providers working three hundred hours or less in any calendar year.]

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5360 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

Signed by Senators Rivers, Chair; Becker, Vice Chair; Cleveland, Ranking Minority Member; Kuderer, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Bailey, Conway, Fain, Keiser, Miloscia, Mullet, O'Ban and Walsh.

Background: Individual providers are people who have contracted with the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to provide personal care or respite care services to functionally disabled persons.

Individual providers who provide respite services and work less than 300 hours in a calendar year must complete 35 hours of training within 120 days after becoming an individual provider. Five hours of training must be completed before the individual provider may provide care; two of these hours must be devoted to an orientation training regarding the role of caregiver and three of these hours must be on safety training.

The training partnership develops training programs for long-term care workers, including individual providers.

Summary of Bill (First Substitute): Individual providers who provide respite care services for individuals with disabilities and who work 300 hours or less in a calendar year must complete 14 hours of training within 120 days of becoming an individual provider. Five hours of training must be completed before providing care; this includes two hours of orientation training and 3 hours of safety training. The training partnership must offer at least 12 hours of training online and individual providers must be able to select elective course for at least five online courses.

EFFECT OF CHANGES MADE BY HEALTH CARE COMMITTEE (First Substitute):

Removes the limitation that the training requirement apply to only respite workers who provide assistance to individuals with developmental disabilities and provides that the training requirement apply to individuals with disabilities.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony on Original Bill: The committee recommended a different version of the bill than what was heard. PRO: This is a good bill which helps care providers, many of whom are family members. Respite providers assist families who deserve to have a break. Parents find that it is hard to hire and train respite providers; reducing training hours will open up the pool of providers. This will benefit parent providers who have regular jobs and it is hard to take time off to get the required training; lowering the training hours and offering classes online will make it easier for parent providers. There is no workforce of respite providers, you have to find your own provider who then has to take the training. These providers usually have other jobs which makes the online training so important and more accessible. There are a lack of training opportunities and the classes are inconveniently located. Some of the training has nothing to do with the work the provider will be performing. Parents want training that is relevant to the developmental disability population; this bill provides for the opportunity to individualize the training. The recent audit by the Auditor's Office shows that many providers start the training and then drop out before completing it; the training requirements are barriers to becoming an provider. This is an important step forward but other training elements need to be addressed.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Senator Barbara Bailey, Prime Sponsor; Audrey Adams, Developmental Disabilities Council; Demas Nesterenko, SEIU775; Sylvia Liang, parent provider; Frank Metully, parent provider; Donna Patrick, Developmental Disabilities Council; Bethany Maertens, student, The Evergreen State College; Marcie Taylor, Community Employment Alliance; Diana Stadden, The Arc Of WA; Maxford Nelsen, Freedom Foundation.