HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 2631

BYRepresentatives Cooper, Nutley, Raiter, Hargrove, Leonard, Ferguson and Brekke

Regulating community services for persons with developmental disabilities.

House Committe on Human Services

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (11)

      Signed by Representatives Sayan, Chair; Scott, Vice Chair; Moyer, Ranking Republican Member; Tate, Assistant Ranking Republican Member; Anderson, Brekke, Hargrove, Leonard, Padden, Raiter and Winsley.

House Staff:Dave Knutson (786-7146)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES FEBRUARY 1, 1990

BACKGROUND:

The 1989-91 biennial budget authorized the Department of Social and Health Services to move residents of state residential habilitation centers to residential alternatives in the community. The department is planning to serve some residents in state- operated residential programs.

SUMMARY:

SUBSTITUTE BILL:  Residents of residential habilitation centers who are transferred to community programs may return to the center within one year of transfer.  The secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services is required to involve the resident to be transferred and his parent or guardian in all aspects of the transfer to a community program.  The secretary is also required to develop a coordinated and collaborative planning process involving all interested and affected individuals and organizations to ensure the best interests of the transferred resident are the highest priority.

The secretary is required, within available, appropriated funds, to develop an array of community residential programs including private and state-operated alternatives.  Legislative reports to appropriate legislative committees are required by June 1, 1990, and January 1, 1991.

SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL:  The original legislation authorized the Department of Social and Health Services to provide state-operated community residential services only if private vendors were unable or unwilling to serve eligible persons. State-operated community residential programs were limited to a pilot program in King County for 12 residents of Fircrest School.  The pilot program was to have been evaluated by independent evaluators who would report their findings to the appropriate legislative committees by January, 1992.  The statutory provision prohibiting terminating classified employees or classified employee positions by contracting for services was waived for the King County pilot project.

Fiscal Note:      Available.

Effective Date:The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    (Original Bill)  Sylvia Fuerstenburg, Kathy Foster, and Susan Taylor, Developmental Disabilities Residential Services Association; Patricia Lee, Horizons Group Homes; Grace Gould, Association of Retarded Citizens; Jane Boone, Washington Association of County Human Services; Sue Closser, Sunrise Community Living; John Lund and Rob Martin, Rehabilitation Enterprises of Washington.

House Committee - Testified Against:      (Original Bill)  Gene Ollenburger, parent; Philip Scheier, parent; Lester Hein, Friends of Rainier; Roberta Musser, parent; Lois Odd, guardian; Gary Moore, Washington Federation of State Employees; and Thelma Struck, Department of Social and Health Services.

House Committee - Testimony For:    (Original Bill)  Community services to developmentally disabled persons should be provided by private vendors.  State employees should only be allowed to provide services to the developmentally disabled in the community on a limited basis.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      (Original Bill)  Residents returning to the community from Residential Habilitation Centers should have the right to choose where they want to live.  Their ability to choose a state-operated residential program should not be limited by setting arbitrary restrictions on the number or location of state-operated community residential programs.