AN ACT Relating to notifying residents of long-term care facilities that they may install and conduct electronic monitoring in their rooms; and amending RCW 43.190.060.

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

Sec. 1.  RCW 43.190.060 and 2013 c 23 s 92 are each amended to read as follows:

A long-term care ombuds shall:

(1) Identify, investigate, and resolve complaints made by or on behalf of residents of long-term care facilities relating to administrative action, inaction, or decisions which may adversely affect the health, safety, welfare, and rights of these individuals;

(2) Monitor the development and implementation of federal, state, and local laws, rules, regulations, and policies with respect to long-term care facilities in this state;

(3) Provide information as appropriate to residents, resident representatives, and others regarding the rights of residents, and to public agencies regarding the problems of individuals residing in long-term care facilities; ((and))

(4) Provide information to residents, resident representatives, and others regarding the rights of residents to install and conduct electronic monitoring in the sleeping room of the resident as allowed by rule; and

(5) Provide for training volunteers and promoting the development of citizen organizations to participate in the ombuds program. A trained volunteer long-term care ombuds, in accordance with the policies and procedures established by the state long-term care ombuds program, shall inform residents, their representatives, and others about the rights of residents, and may identify, investigate, and resolve complaints made by or on behalf of residents of long-term care facilities relating to action, inaction, or decisions, that may adversely affect the health, safety, welfare, and rights of these individuals.

Nothing in chapter 133, Laws of 1999 shall be construed to empower the state long-term care ombuds or any local long-term care ombuds with statutory or regulatory licensing or sanctioning authority.

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