1694 AMS HHS S2737.1
HB 1694 - S COMM AMD
By Committee on Health & Human Services
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"Sec. 1. RCW 18.92.030 and 1986 c 259 s 140 are each amended to read as follows:
It shall be the duty of
the board to ((prepare examination questions, conduct examinations, and
grade the answers of applicants)) develop and administer or approve
licensure examinations. The board, pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW, shall
have the power to adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary to
effectuate the purposes of this chapter including the performance of the duties
and responsibilities of animal technicians: PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That such rules
are adopted in the interest of good veterinary health care delivery to the
consuming public, and do not prevent animal technicians from inoculating an
animal. The board shall further have the power to adopt, by reasonable rules
and regulations, standards prescribing requirements for veterinary medical
facilities and to fix minimum standards of continuing veterinary medical
education.
The department shall be the official office of record.
Sec. 2. RCW 18.92.100 and 1991 c 3 s 243 are each amended to read as follows:
Examinations for
license to practice veterinary medicine, surgery and dentistry shall be held at
least once each year at such times and places as the secretary may authorize
and direct. Said examination, ((which shall be conducted in the English
language)) shall be((, in whole or in part, in writing)) on ((the
following)) subjects((: Veterinary anatomy, surgery, obstetrics,
pathology, chemistry, hygiene, veterinary diagnosis, materia medica,
therapeutics, parasitology, physiology, sanitary medicine, and such other
subjects which are ordinarily included in the curricula of veterinary colleges,))
as the board may prescribe. All examinees shall be tested by written
examination, supplemented by such oral interviews and practical demonstrations
as the board deems necessary. ((The board may accept the examinee's results
on the National Board of Veterinary Examiners in lieu of the written portion of
the state examination.))
Sec. 3. RCW 18.54.070 and 1991 c 3 s 140 are each amended to read as follows:
The board has the following powers and duties:
(1) ((The board
shall prepare the necessary lists of examination questions, conduct
examinations, either written or oral or partly written and partly oral, and
shall certify to the secretary of health all lists, signed by all members
conducting the examination, of all applicants for licenses who have
successfully passed the examination and a separate list of all applicants for
licenses who have failed to pass the examination, together with a copy of all
examination questions used, and the written answers to questions on written
examinations submitted by each of the applicants)) To prepare and
administer or approve for administration, or both, a licensure examination in
the subjects determined by the board to be essential to the practice of
optometry.
(2) The board shall adopt rules and regulations to promote safety, protection and the welfare of the public, to carry out the purposes of this chapter, to aid the board in the performance of its powers and duties, and to govern the practice of optometry.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The legislature finds that regulation of health professions is an important part of state quality assurance activities that help assure the safe delivery of health care services to the people of this state.
It further finds that there are twenty separate regulatory authorities that govern the health professions and act on scope of practice decisions. The large number of regulatory authorities has sometimes resulted in inconsistent and conflicting regulation of the state's health professions and the expansion in the scope of practice beyond legislative intent. In addition, scopes of practice between some professions overlap and it is often unclear which regulatory authority has jurisdiction. Separate authorities may adopt conflicting rules concerning the same scope of practice issue. The legislature is often requested to resolve these conflicts by enacting legislation to modify or clarify the scope of practice of a health profession.
The legislature further finds that it is requested to consider legislation to increase the level of regulation of health professions already regulated by the state. Increasing the level of regulation further restricts the practice of the profession by requiring individuals to obtain specialized training and pass a credentialing examination. These requests require a determination that the existing level of regulation is insufficient to protect the public from the unsafe practice of the profession.
The legislature declares that the best forum for deciding such changes in scope of practice and levels of health professional credentialing is through a nonlegislative process that allows for a deliberative and objective consideration of such changes. The expertise of the existing health professional licensing boards and advisory committees should be used in considering such changes but the secretary of health should be responsible for making decisions on changes in scope of practice or the level of credentialing. It further declares that the legislature should limit its involvement in the regulation of health professionals to those proposals that create new professions or that consider the sunset termination of existing professions.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The secretary of health, in consultation with the health policy committees of the senate and house of representatives, shall identify and recommend changes in the Revised Code of Washington necessary to implement the intent of section 4 of this act. The recommendations shall include at least the following:
(1) A set of recommended statutory principals to be used by the secretary to decide if it is appropriate to make changes in scope of practice or levels of credentialing of health care professions. The principals shall be based upon the benefits that the changes will have on public safety, health, and protection.
(2) A draft proposal with specific recommended changes in the health professional practice acts, and other laws governing the health care professions, to authorize the secretary to make changes in the scope of practice or level of credentialing of a health care profession regulated under Title 18 RCW.
(3) A draft proposal with specific recommended changes in the health professional practice acts, and other laws governing the health care professions, to authorize the secretary to make changes in the operation of the health professional regulatory programs that will lead to improved administration.
(4) A draft proposal outlining a recommended review process and review criteria to be used by the secretary in making changes in scope of practice or levels of credentialing. To the extent practical, the process should be modeled after the sunrise review process under chapter 18.120 RCW.
(5) A draft proposal outlining the policy for consideration of requests by private associations and groups to make changes in scope of practice or levels of credentialing of a regulated health care profession. The policy shall also address who should be financially responsible for the cost to the secretary for reviewing these requests.
The recommendations shall be reported to the health policy committees of the senate and house of representatives no later than December 1, 1993."
HB 1694 - S COMM AMD
By Committee on Health & Human Services
On page 1, line 2 of the title, after "plan;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "amending RCW 18.92.030, 18.92.100, and 18.54.070; and creating new sections."
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