S-1844               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5903

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State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Senators Kreidler and Bauer

Read first time 2/15/89 and referred to Committee on  Health Care & Corrections.

AN ACT Relating to nursing home care for medically fragile children; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that nursing home placement for children with severe physical and mental disabilities should be a part of the state's long-term care continuum.  Such medically fragile children need to be placed in long-term care facilities when in-home and residential facilities are not appropriate for their medical condition.  Currently, nursing home placements are often not available and the children have to be placed in out-of-state facilities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The department of social and health services shall develop a plan for providing nursing home care to medically fragile children.  The plan shall include:  (1) Criteria and evaluation tools for identifying medically fragile children in need of nursing home placement; (2) identification of in-state facilities that can provide such care; (3) a plan for providing such care; (4) a schedule for implementation of the plan; (5) identification of federal funds available to assist in providing such care; and (6) recommendations on legislative action needed to implement the plan.  The department shall submit a report to the appropriate legislative committees by December 1, 1989.