CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

                        HOUSE BILL 2849

                        54th Legislature

                      1996 Regular Session

Passed by the House March 4, 1996   Yeas 94   Nays 0 Speaker of the        House of Representatives Passed by the Senate March 1, 1996   Yeas 48   Nays 0

CERTIFICATE I, Timothy A. Martin, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is HOUSE BILL 2849 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth.

President of the Senate

Chief Clerk

Approved Place Style On Codes above, and Style Off Codes below.

FILED

Governor of the State of Washington

Secretary of State                        State of Washington

          _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2849

          _______________________________________________

                     AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

             Passed Legislature - 1996 Regular Session

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1996 Regular Session

By Representatives Dyer, Cody, Casada, Conway, Hymes, Murray, Skinner, Morris, Crouse, Sherstad, Backlund, H. Sommers and Silver

Read first time 01/23/96.  Referred to Committee on Health Care.

Modifying nursing home administrator licensing.

    AN ACT Relating to nursing home administrator licensing; and amending RCW 18.52.071.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 18.52.071 and 1992 c 53 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

    The department shall issue a license to any person applying for a nursing home administrator's license ((after July 1, 1993,)) who meets the following requirements:

    (1) Successful completion of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree from a recognized institution of higher learning((:  PROVIDED, That if education requirements are adopted by the federal government, the board may adopt rules requiring educational qualifications to meet those requirements)) and any federal requirements;

    (2) Successful completion of a practical experience requirement as determined by the board;

    (3) Successful completion of examinations administered or approved by the board, or both, which shall be designed to test the candidate's competence to administer a nursing home;

    (4) At least twenty-one years of age; and

    (5) Not having engaged in unprofessional conduct as defined in RCW 18.130.180 or being unable to practice with reasonable skill and safety as defined in RCW 18.130.170.  The board shall establish by rule what constitutes adequate proof of meeting the above requirements.

    A limited license indicating the limited extent of authority to administer institutions ((certified by such)) conducted by and for those who rely upon treatment by prayer or spiritual means in accordance with the creed or tenets of any well-recognized church or religious denomination ((teaching religious or spiritual means for healing through prayer,)) shall be issued to individuals demonstrating membership in such church or denomination.  However, nothing in this chapter shall be construed to require an applicant ((certified)) employed by ((any well established and generally recognized church or religious denomination teaching reliance on spiritual means alone)) such institution to demonstrate proficiency in any medical techniques or to meet any medical educational qualifications or medical standards not in accord with the remedial care and treatment provided in such institutions.

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