Z-0654.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5374

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      53rd Legislature     1993 Regular Session

By Senators von Reichbauer, Oke, Wojahn, Bauer, Barr, Hochstatter and Winsley; by request of Legislative Budget Committee

Read first time 01/26/93.  Referred to Committee on Health & Human Services.

Concerning the licensure of exempt hospice agencies.

    AN ACT Relating to hospice agencies; and amending RCW 70.127.050.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 70.127.050 and 1988 c 245 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

    ((Notwithstanding RCW 70.127.020(2) and 70.127.030(2), a volunteer organization that provides hospice care without receiving compensation for delivery of services that does not meet the licensure requirements of this chapter for a hospice agency may use the phrase "volunteer hospice" if the volunteer organization was formed prior to January 1, 1988, and the organization notifies the department prior to July 1, 1989.  This section shall not be considered an exemption from the home health agency or home care agency license provisions of this chapter.))

(1) Hospice agencies that do not receive fees for services are exempt from licensure as a hospice agency under RCW 70.127.020(2).  Contributions do not constitute fees for the purposes of this section.  Whether a hospice agency pays its staff is not a consideration for this exemption.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of RCW 70.127.030(2), hospice agencies that do not receive compensation for services are allowed to use the phrase "exempt hospice."

(3) Nothing in this chapter precludes an exempt hospice agency from obtaining a hospice license if it so chooses, but that agency would be exempt from the requirements set forth in RCW 70.127.080(1) (d) and (e).

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