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                                          SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 1599

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                                                           AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

                                                                            C 003 L 89

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Locke, Silver, Bristow, H. Sommers, Winsley, Miller, Sayan, Pruitt, Wineberry, P. King, Rayburn, Raiter, R. King, Belcher, Jones, Scott, Baugher, Jacobsen, H. Myers, Rasmussen, Spanel, Basich, Phillips, Appelwick and Day)

Read first time 2/6/89.

AN ACT Relating to programs for persons suffering from alcoholism or drug addiction; adding a new section to chapter 74.50 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 74.08 RCW; creating a new section; repealing RCW 74.50.030; making an appropriation; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that chapter 74.50 RCW, the alcoholism and drug addiction treatment and support act, is a successful method of providing treatment to indigent alcoholics and drug addicts.  The legislature further finds that the program is facing fiscal restraints in the current biennium that may prevent the program from accomplishing its mission and may do irreparable harm to the continuation of the program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 74.50 RCW to read as follows:

          Within available funds, the department may provide to eligible persons services for assessment, inpatient and outpatient treatment, and shelter.  In order to control expenditures or to comply with conditions or limitations placed on appropriations, the department may establish caseload ceilings and client eligibility standards for any of these services.  The eligibility standards may provide for limiting eligibility for any service to that class or classes of applicants that the department determines constitute the highest priority for services under this chapter.  The department's determination of priority shall be based on the department's estimate of the potential benefit to applicants and the likelihood that the service will reduce future demands for state assistance.  The department may provide such a priority classification system for any or all services provided under this chapter.  Any caseload ceiling or priority classification system adopted by the department shall be consistent with any appropriation condition or limitation prescribing or dealing with such a ceiling or system.  If funds provided for any of these services have been fully expended, the department shall immediately discontinue that service.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 74.08 RCW to read as follows:

          Nothing in this chapter except RCW 74.08.070 and 74.08.080 applies to chapter 74.50 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  Section 4, chapter 406, Laws of 1987, section 2, chapter 163, Laws of 1988 and RCW 74.50.030 are each repealed.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     The sum of ten million two hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal biennium ending June 30, 1989, from the general fund to the department of social and health services solely for alcoholism and drug addiction services as specifically described in this section.  Four million eight hundred thousand dollars of this appropriation shall be from federal sources.  The appropriation in this section is subject to the following conditions and limitations:

          (1) This appropriation shall not be construed as a commitment to a funding level for the program for the 1989-91 fiscal biennium.

          (2) The department shall manage treatment services so that caseloads are gradually modified to produce a caseload of approximately 1,075 outpatient clients on June 30, 1989.  Living allowance stipends for outpatient treatment clients  may be paid within this appropriation.

          (3) The highest priority classes of clients for treatment services, in order of priority, are:  (a) Pregnant women; (b) persons referred through child protective services; (c) adults living in households with children; and (d) persons who receive substantial services from the state, as determined by the department.

          (4) The department shall manage shelter services so that caseloads are gradually modified to achieve an average of approximately 1,213 clients per month receiving shelter services during the period from January 1, 1989, through June 30, 1989.

          (5) For the period February 1, 1989, through June 30, 1989, the average monthly rate of expenditure for assessment services shall be not more than seventy-five percent of the expenditure rate for assessment services during January 1989.

          (6) If any condition or limitation in this section is held null or invalid, the general fund‑-state appropriation in this section shall lapse and any unexpended funds shall revert to an unappropriated status.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.

                                                                                                                      Passed the House February 17, 1989.

                                                                                                                                         Speaker of the House.

                                                                                                                      Passed the Senate February 17, 1989.

                                                                                                                                       President of the Senate.