HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1863

                    As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to compensation for members of part‑time health commissions.

Brief Description:  Providing for compensation to part‑time health commissions.

Sponsors:  Representatives Skinner, Cody, Lovick and Campbell.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Health Care:  2/18/99, 2/25/99 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  3/11/99, 93-2.

Senate Amended.

Passed Senate:  4/13/99, 39-6.

House Concurred.

Passed Legislature.

                 Brief Summary of Bill

$Authorizes members of full authority health commissions to receive up to $250 per diem compensation.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Cody, Democratic Co-Chair; Parlette, Republican Co-Chair; Pflug, Republican Vice Chair; Schual-Berke, Democratic Vice Chair; Alexander; Boldt; Campbell; Conway; Edmonds; Edwards and Ruderman.

Minority Report:  Without recommendation.  Signed by 1 member:  Representative Mulliken.

Staff:  John Welsh (786-7133).

Background:

State government is served by a number of committees, boards and commissions whose members are appointed from the public at large.  These entities are charged with varying responsibilities, ranging from providing expertise to administering specified programs and developing policy.  The compensation for these part-time public members is specified by law according to the degree of responsibilities exercised by these entities.

There are a number of advisory committees, boards and commissions composed of heath professionals with responsibilities for credentialing applicants for licensing, certification, and registration, and which may have disciplinary functions.  There are currently four full-authority commissions with disciplinary authority governing the practices of medicine, dentistry, nursing and chiropractic respectively.

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 Bill:

A new Class 5 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 $250 per day for each day spent in performing authorized duties.  The Class 5 group includes the medical, dental, chiropractic and nursing quality assurance commission.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  The current $50 per diem compensation is inadequate to attract physicians to serve on the medical commission.  It is important to compensate more realistically the talent and expertise that physicians and other providers serving on the health professions commission can bring to public service.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Carl Nelson, Washington State Medical Association; and Pat Brown, Department of Health.