AN
ACT Relating to establishing the eastern Washington veterans' home; amending
RCW 72.36.035, 72.36.045, 72.36.055, 72.36.060, 43.60A.075, and 72.36.090;
adding a new section to chapter 72.36 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 1. The
department of veterans affairs indicates that it may acquire and staff an
existing one-hundred-bed skilled nursing facility in Spokane and reopen it as
an eastern Washington veterans' home by using a combination of funding
sources. Funding sources include federal per diem payments, contributions from
residents' incomes, and federal and state medicaid payments. In authorizing
the establishment of an eastern Washington veterans' home, it is the intent of
the legislature that the state general fund shall not provide support in future
biennia for the eastern Washington veterans' home except for amounts required
to pay the state share of medicaid costs.
Sec.
2. RCW
72.36.035 and 1993 sp.s. c 3 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:
For
purposes of this chapter, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(1)
"Actual bona fide residents of this state" means persons who have a
domicile in the state of Washington immediately prior to application for
admission to a state veterans' home.
(2)
"Department" means the Washington state department of veterans
affairs.
(3)
"Domicile" means a person's true, fixed, and permanent home and place
of habitation, and shall be the place where the person intends to remain, and
to which the person expects to return when the person leaves without intending
to establish a new domicile elsewhere.
(4)
"State veterans' homes" means ((either)) the Washington
soldiers' home and colony in Orting, ((or)) the Washington veterans'
home in Retsil, ((or both)) and the eastern Washington veterans' home.
(5) "Veteran" has the same meaning established in RCW
41.04.005.
Sec.
3. RCW
72.36.045 and 1977 ex.s. c 186 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:
In the maintenance of the ((Washington soldiers' home and colony
and the Washington)) state veterans' homes by the state
through the department of veterans' affairs, such maintenance shall include,
but not be limited to, the provision of members' room and board, medical and
dental care, physical and occupational therapy, and recreational activities,
with the necessary implementing transportation, equipment, and personnel
therefor.
Sec.
4. RCW
72.36.055 and 1977 ex.s. c 186 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:
The ((soldiers' home and colony at Orting and the Washington))
state veterans' homes ((at Retsil)) shall provide both
domiciliary and nursing care. The level of domiciliary members shall remain
consistent with the facilities available to accommodate those members:
PROVIDED, That nothing in this section shall preclude the department from
moving residents between nursing and domiciliary care in order to better
utilize facilities and maintain the appropriate care for the members.
Sec.
5. RCW
72.36.060 and 1977 ex.s. c 186 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
The
state treasurer is authorized to receive any and all moneys appropriated or
paid by the United States under the act of congress entitled "An Act to
provide aid to state or territorial homes for disabled soldiers and sailors of
the United States," approved August 27, 1888, or under any other act or
acts of congress for the benefit of such homes. Such moneys shall be deposited
in the general fund and shall be expended for the maintenance of the ((soldiers'
home and)) state veterans' homes.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 6. A
new section is added to chapter 72.36 RCW to read as follows:
There shall be established and maintained in this state a branch of
the state soldiers' home, under the name of the "eastern Washington
veterans' home," which branch shall be a home for veterans and their
spouses who meet admission requirements contained in RCW 72.36.030.
Sec.
7. RCW
43.60A.075 and 1977 c 31 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:
The
director of the department of veterans affairs shall have full power to manage
and govern the state soldiers' home and colony ((and)), the
Washington veterans' home, and the eastern Washington veterans' home.
Sec.
8. RCW
72.36.090 and 1977 ex.s. c 186 s 9 are each amended to read as follows:
The
superintendents of the state ((soldiers' home and colony and the state))
veterans' homes are hereby authorized to:
(1)
Institute programs of hobby promotion designed to improve the general welfare
and mental condition of the persons under their supervision;
(2)
Provide for the financing of these programs by grants from funds in the
superintendent's custody through operation of canteens and exchanges at such
institutions;
(3)
Limit the hobbies sponsored to projects which will, in their judgment, be
self-liquidating or self-sustaining.
