H-1714              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 2196

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Representatives Cantwell, Brooks, Braddock and Anderson

Read first time 3/1/89 and referred to Committee on Health Care.

AN ACT Relating to trauma care; amending RCW 70.168.010, 70.168.040, and 46.20.181; and making an appropriation.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 1, chapter 183, Laws of 1988 and RCW 70.168.010 are each amended to read as follows:

          The legislature finds and declares that:

          (1) Trauma is a severe health problem ((in the state of Washington)) and a major cause of injury and death, and that highway-related accidents comprise a majority of trauma cases in the state of Washington;

          (2) Presently, trauma care is very limited in many parts of the state, and rural area health care is in transition with the danger that some communities will be without emergency medical care; and

          (3) It is in the best interest of the citizens of Washington state to establish a state-wide trauma care system to reduce costs of inappropriate and inadequate emergency service and minimize the human suffering and costs associated with preventable mortality and morbidity.

        Sec. 2.  Section 4, chapter 183, Laws of 1988 and RCW 70.168.040 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1)  The trauma care system trust account is hereby created in the state treasury.  Moneys shall be transferred to the trauma care system trust account from the public safety education account or other sources as appropriated.  Disbursements shall be made by the office of financial management, or the department of health if one is created, subject to legislative appropriation.  Funds shall be made available for the implementation and administration of the state-wide trauma care system.

          (2) If a state-wide trauma care system is not established by June 30, ((1992)) 1991, funds in the account shall transfer to the highway safety fund and the account shall terminate.

        Sec. 3.  Section 17, chapter 121, Laws of 1965 ex. sess. as last amended by section 2, chapter 245, Laws of 1981 and RCW 46.20.181 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Every driver's license shall expire on the fourth anniversary of the licensee's birthdate following the issuance of such license:  PROVIDED, That during the period July 1, 1981, through and including June 30, 1983, the department shall implement a system of staggering the renewal periods of currently licensed drivers so as to make approximately one-half of such renewals for a two-year period and the other one-half for a four-year period.  Every such license shall be renewable on or before its expiration upon application prescribed by the department and the payment of a fee of fourteen dollars, or of seven dollars in the case of those being renewed for only two years.  These fees include the fee for the required photograph.

(2) Until June 30, 1992, there shall be a four-dollar surcharge for every driver's license renewal.  Moneys from the surcharge shall be deposited in the trauma care system trust account created by RCW 70.168.040.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     The sum of one hundred fifty thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, from the public safety and education account to the trauma care system trust account to complete the implementation plan for the state-wide trauma system.