AN ACT Relating to paperwork reduction in order to improve the availability of mental health services to protect children and families; adding a new section to chapter 71.24 RCW; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

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

The legislature further finds that these duplicative documentation requirements for providers have a negative impact on the adequacy of the network of mental health providers and create costly barriers to the efficient provision of services for children and their families.

Therefore, the legislature intends to require the department of social and health services to take steps to reduce paperwork and documentation requirements which are inefficient or duplicative for providers of children's mental health services.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 71.24 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The department must immediately perform a review of its rules, policies, and procedures related to the documentation requirements for behavioral health services with regard to individual initial assessments. The review must identify areas in which duplicative or inefficient documentation requirements can be eliminated or streamlined for providers. The department must complete the review by November 1, 2017. Upon completion of the review, the department must take immediate steps to amend department rules accordingly.

(2) This section expires December 31, 2018.

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