HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 2262
As Reported by House Committee On:
Appropriations
Title: An act relating to license and certificate fees for health care providers.
Brief Description: Revising license and certificate fees for emergency medical services and personnel.
Sponsors: Representative Cody.
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Appropriations: 4/22/03, 4/23/03 [DPS].
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill |
• Exempts volunteer emergency medical service providers from paying certification fees. |
• Requires emergency medical service providers who receive compensation for their services to pay fees according to their pro rata share of the cost to regulate the profession. |
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 15 members: Representatives Sommers, Chair; Fromhold, Vice Chair; Cody; Conway; Dunshee; Grant; Hunter; Kagi; Kenney; Kessler; Linville; McIntire; Miloscia; Pflug and Ruderman.
Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 12 members: Representatives Sehlin, Ranking Minority Member; Pearson, Asst Ranking Minority Member; Alexander; Boldt; Buck; Clements; Cox; DeBolt; McDonald; Schual-Berke; Sump and Talcott.
Staff: Amy Hanson (786-7118).
Background:
The Department of Health (Department) and the various health profession boards issue credentials to 55 types of health care providers. Currently, there are over 250,000 health care providers credentialed in these fields in Washington. Each category of credentialed professionals is required to pay for the costs to the Department to regulate the profession. Fees must be established in rule. The Department may waive the fee when it decides that charging a fee to the profession would not be in the public's best interest or would financially disadvantage the state.
Emergency medical service personnel are certified as either first responders, emergency medical technicians, intermediate life support technicians, or paramedics. The Department certifies these personnel in three year periods and does not charge a fee for certification. There are approximately 16,600 certified emergency medical service personnel. Almost half of these providers are volunteers.
Summary of Substitute Bill:
First responders, emergency medical technicians, intermediate life support technicians, and paramedics (emergency medical service personnel) will be charged certification fees according to their pro rata share of the cost of regulating their professions. Emergency medical service personnel who do not receive compensation for their services are exempt from paying certification fees.
The Department is required to adopt fees for emergency medical service personnel who receive compensation for their services.
The bill also makes technical and terminology changes.
Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:
Licenses for all aid and ambulance services are exempt from license fees.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date of Substitute Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: None.
Testimony Against: While exempting volunteer emergency medical service providers is good, the fees for paid personnel will likely be passed on to employers because of collective bargaining agreements. The budget will already have a great impact on ambulance services and these fees will add to those hardships.
Testified: Susie Tracy, American Medical Response; Kathy Nevin, Washington Ambulance Association; Roger Ferris, Washington Fire Commissioners Association; and Jim Justin, Association of Washington Cities.