H-1019.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 1541
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State of Washington 52nd Legislature 1991 Regular Session
By Representatives Cooper, Moyer, Braddock, Ferguson, Leonard, May, Dorn, Riley, Prentice, H. Myers, Hargrove, Peery, Morris, Heavey, Sprenkle, Brekke, Cantwell, R. King, Jones, Van Luven, Ludwig, Jacobsen, Scott, Winsley and Anderson.
Read first time January 31, 1991. Referred to Committee on Appropriations.
AN ACT Relating to stabilization of contracted developmentally disabled community residential and day program services; amending RCW 71A.12.110; adding new sections to chapter 71A.12 RCW; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 71A.12.110 and 1988 c 176 s 211 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) The secretary may enter into agreements with any person, corporation, or governmental entity to pay the contracting party to perform services that the secretary is authorized to provide under this title, except for operation of residential habilitation centers under chapter 71A.20 RCW. All private community parties directly contracting with the secretary, including county-contracted services, under this section shall receive an adjustment for inflation on July 1 of each year. The inflation adjustment shall be determined by the director of the office of financial management.
(2) The secretary by contract or by rule may impose standards for services contracted for by the secretary.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 71A.12 RCW to read as follows:
In addition to the inflation adjustment provided in RCW 71A.12.110, the secretary shall incrementally increase reimbursement rates to private community parties contracting with the secretary and all county-contracted services under RCW 71A.12.110. Employees of such contractors shall be paid wages and benefits equal to wages and benefits paid to state employees performing comparable work. Incremental increases shall commence July 1, 1991, with equality achieved by July 1, 1995.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 71A.12 RCW to read as follows:
The secretary shall incrementally increase reimbursement rates to private community parties contracting with the secretary or counties contracting for services under RCW 71A.12.110 to cover all reasonable, allowable, and allocable costs associated with the delivery of such services. Such costs shall be determined by an independent study contracted for by the department. The results of the study shall be provided to the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 31, 1992. Oversight of the study shall be provided by a task force consisting of equal representation from each of the following groups: The department, counties, consumers, day program providers, and residential providers.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. 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.