FINAL BILL REPORT

SSB 5237

C 172 L 03

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Regulating the catheterization of students.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senators Deccio, Thibaudeau, Parlette, Keiser, Mulliken, Kohl-Welles, Stevens, Hale and Eide).

Senate Committee on Education

House Committee on Health Care

Background: Federal and state laws require the state to ensure that appropriate special education and related services are provided to children with disabilities who are eligible to receive them. A related service is a supportive service that is necessary to enable the child with the disability to benefit from the special education. In 1984, the U.S. Supreme Court found that bladder catheterizations are a related service. Under state law, school districts and private schools must adopt policies addressing the provision of bladder catheterizations. School employees who are not licensed nurses, but who provide catheterizations for students, must receive training from a physician or registered nurse and that training must be documented in the employee's file.

Catheterization consists of inserting a flexible tube through the urethra into the bladder to empty the bladder.

Summary: Public school employees, who are not licensed nurses and who have not agreed in writing to perform catheterizations as part of their job description, may file a written letter of refusal to perform catheterizations for students. The letter of refusal may not constitute grounds for dismissal or other adverse action that would affect the employee's contract status.

Public school districts and private schools must document any training provided to employees that perform catheterizations. Public and private school employees who perform health services must have a job description that lists all the health services that the employee may be required to perform.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate       47  0

House       95  0    (House amended)

Senate       45  0    (Senate concurred)

Effective: July 27, 2003