H-3940              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 2751

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Representatives Scott, Winsley, Sayan, Moyer, Leonard, Anderson, Raiter, Brekke, Padden, Wineberry, Cole, Haugen, Sprenkle, P. King, Belcher, Prentice, Nutley, Morris, Peery, Nelson, Hine, Tate, H. Myers, Kirby, Brooks, Vekich, Rector, Heavey, Dellwo, Hargrove, Locke, Crane, R. King, Basich, Kremen, Jones, Appelwick, Cooper, Braddock, R. Meyers, Wood, Inslee, Spanel, Ferguson, Brough, Walker, Fuhrman, Brumsickle, Youngsman, Baugher, Forner, Smith, Phillips, Wolfe, Wang, Rayburn, Silver, May, Miller, Betrozoff, Schoon, Todd, Rasmussen and Day

Read first time 1/19/90 and referred to Committees on Human Services/Appropriations.

AN ACT Relating to infants and children with special needs due to the effects of alcohol, drugs, or the human immunodeficiency virus; adding new sections to chapter 74.14B RCW; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that Washington state is experiencing a rapid increase in the number of infants and children who have special medical and developmental needs at or following birth due to maternal use of or exposure to alcohol, drugs, or the human immunodeficiency virus.  The legislature further finds that the special needs of these infants and children should be met in their parents' homes or other homelike environments, and that these needs can be met through the provision of specialized support and services.  The legislature further finds that therapeutic child care, in conjunction with home or foster care services, is a critical means of meeting the special needs of these infants and children.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout sections 1 through 5 of this act.

          (1)  "Special needs infants and children" means infants and children who have special medical and developmental needs at or following birth due to maternal use of or exposure to alcohol, drugs, or the human immunodeficiency virus.

          (2) "Caregiver" means a birth parent, adoptive parent, relative caregiver, or foster parent caring for one or more special needs infants or children.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     (1) A program is established within the department to provide special needs infants and children and their caregivers with specialized support and services.

          (2) The program shall provide, either directly or by contract with local public health entities or private not-for-profit organizations, the following support and services:

          (a) Case management services, provided by public health nurses or other qualified persons;

          (b) Personal care services;

          (c) Specialized medical equipment;

          (d) Training for caregivers on the needs of special needs infants and children;

          (e) Respite services for caregivers; and

          (f) Counseling services, including hospice services, for special needs infants and children and their caregivers.

          (3) The program shall coordinate with (a) medical facilities treating special needs infants and children, (b) programs providing treatment services to chemically dependent pregnant women, (c) therapeutic child care providers, and (d) other programs providing services to chemically dependent pregnant women and special needs infants and children.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     The department shall prospectively reimburse foster care providers participating in the program established in section 3 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     The department shall aggressively seek all available federal funding from the medical assistance program, Title XIX of the federal social security act, and shall take such steps as are necessary to ensure that all available federal funding is utilized to provide services under sections 3 and 4 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.     The sum of .......... , or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general fund to the department of social and health services, for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, to carry out the purposes of this act.

          (1) Of this amount, .......... is provided solely to increase the number of special needs infants and children receiving therapeutic child care services.

          (2) Of this amount, .......... is provided solely to implement sections 3 and 4 of this act.

          (3) Of this amount, .......... is provided solely for case find services for chemically dependent pregnant women and the operation of transitional sobriety housing for chemically dependent pregnant women and their children.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7.     If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8.     Sections 1 through 5 of this act are each added to chapter 74.14B RCW.