HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1619

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                         Health Care

Title:  An act relating to compensation for members of medical boards.

Brief Description:  Increasing compensation for members of medical boards.

Sponsors:  Representatives Zellinsky, Dyer, Cody, Skinner, Parlette, Sherstad and Clements.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Health Care:  2/11/97, 2/21/97 [DPS].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 10 members:  Representatives Dyer, Chairman; Backlund, Vice Chairman; Skinner, Vice Chairman; Cody, Ranking Minority Member; Murray, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Anderson; Conway; Sherstad; Wood and Zellinsky.

Staff:  John Welsh (786-7133).

Background: The law fixes the rates of compensation for appointees of four groups of committees, according to their level of responsibilities.  Class 1 boards are advisory in nature, whose members receive no compensation.  Class 2 boards are agricultural commodity commissions, whose members receive up to $35 per day.  Class 3 boards have full-authority regulatory or licensing functions, whose members receive up to $50 per day.  Class 4 boards have duties deemed by the Legislature to be of overriding sensitivity and importance, whose members receive up to $100 per day.  Administrative costs of the commission and board are borne by license fees.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  A new group is created for compensating members of the health care commissions having quasi-judicial functions with responsibilities for policy direction in health professional credentialing programs, and performing regulatory and licensing functions.  Members of these commissions may receive compensation of up to $500 per day for each day spent in performing authorized duties.

Currently, there are four full-authority commissions governing the practices of medicine, dentistry, nursing and chiropractic, respectively.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  A new category is created for compensating members of full-authority health care commissions.  The category includes the regulatory commissions governing physicians, nurses, dentists and chiropractors.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  Compensation of members of full-authority commissions should realistically reflect their costs and lost income for serving as members.  This would encourage the appointment of more than retired or semi-retired members.

Testimony Against:  Compensation of board members must be done in accordance with a rational comprehensive statewide scheme.

Testified:  Ron Weaver, Department of Health (con); Carl Nelson, Washington State Medical Association (pro); and Jeff Larsen, Washington Osteopathic Medical Association (con).