HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1337

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                       Human Services

                       Appropriations

Title:  An act relating to family planning services.

Brief Description:  Making changes regarding maternity care services and family planning.

Sponsors:  Representatives Locke, Silver, Roland, Long, Karahalios and Wineberry; by request of Department of Social and Health Services.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Human Services, February 25, 1993, DP;

Appropriations, March 4, 1993, DPS.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 8 members:  Representatives Leonard, Chair; Riley, Vice Chair; Cooke, Ranking Minority Member; Talcott, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Brown; Karahalios; Patterson; and Thibaudeau.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  Signed by 2 members:  Representatives Lisk and Padden.

Staff:  Jim Erlandson (786-7093).

Background:  The Maternity Care Access Program (First Steps) includes services to women whose available income is above the limits for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) eligibility, but below the 185 percent level of the federal poverty guidelines. These "expansion group" clients are currently eligible for two months of postpartum services which include family planning. The Limited Casualty Medically Needy Program provides emergency labor and delivery services to certain women who are not eligible for AFDC or First Steps -- primarily undocumented aliens. This program provides no postpartum medical or family planning services. The fiscal note for this bill indicates that 9 percent of all deliveries paid for by state programs, are "repeat deliveries," i.e., for second or third children.

Summary of Bill:  This bill extends coverage of family planning services for six months after the month in which pregnancy ends. This represents an additional four months to the First Steps expansion group clients and six months for those women receiving Limited Casualty for the Medically Needy.

The reporting requirement established for the department, and subsequently completed, has been deleted.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Jim Peterson, Assistant Secretary for the Department of Social and Health Services Medical Assistance Administration, testified that the bill would provide extensive savings for the state as well as the federal government by helping to avoid unwanted, repeat pregnancies. The bill would allow a new mother to access family planning services through her existing medical provider.

Sherilynn Casey, Department of Health, also testified in favor, indicating that the bill would improve access to family planning services. She provided statistics that showed that of all repeat pregnancies within 12 months of delivery, 0.8 percent are non-medicaid, 4.3 percent are undocumented aliens, and 1.6 percent are First Steps (expanded group). She responded to a question from the committee that the state is not held liable in the failure or other problems related to birth control.

Testimony Against: None.

Witnesses:  Sherilynn Casey, Department of Health; Jim Peterson, Department of Social and Health Services; Lonnie Johns-Brown, Child-Mom Partnership; Ann Simons, Washington Women Unite; and Theresa Conner, Planned Parenthood Affiliates.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 22 members:  Representatives Locke, Chair; Valle, Vice Chair; Silver, Ranking Minority Member; Carlson, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Appelwick; Ballasiotes; Basich; Cooke; Dellwo; Dunshee; G. Fisher; Jacobsen; Lemmon; Linville; Morton; Peery; Rust; Sehlin; Sommers; Wang; Wineberry; and Wolfe.

Minority Report:  Without recommendation.  Signed by 3 members:  Representatives Sheahan; Stevens; and Talcott.

Staff:  Maureen Morris (786-7152).

Summary of Recommendation of Committee on Appropriations Compared to Recommendation of Committee on Human Services:  The eligibility for family planning services was increased to a total of 12 months after a pregnancy.

Fiscal Note:  Available

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This bill will save the state money.  A significant number of women in First Steps become pregnant again after giving birth.  Many of these pregnancies are unwanted.  Many of these women cite an absence of family planning services as a contributing factor to their unplanned pregnancy.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Jim Peterson, Medical Assistance Administration, Department of Social and Health Services (pro).