BILL REQ. #:  H-0486.2 

Read first time 01/22/2003.   Referred to Committee on Children & Family Services.

     AN ACT Relating to delivery of social and health services at the local level; adding a new section to chapter 43.20A RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that the social and health care delivery systems maintained by the department of social and health services operate as distinct funding sources for services delivered at the community level. This results in local government establishing separate and distinct administrative organizations arrayed around the source of funding provided by the state. The legislature intends to support local initiatives that attempt to integrate social and health services, streamline and reduce administrative costs, and establish new organizational entities that provide faster, smarter, and more efficient social and health services.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.20A RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The department of social and health services shall issue a request for proposal to counties or groups of counties to design a new administrative and service delivery infrastructure for supporting and managing social and health services at the local level. The proposal shall be for a five-year pilot project. The proposal must include an integrated total population management system utilizing a public service corporation or a nonprofit corporation as the administrative service organization responsible for the organization of local services. The services to be included in the pilot project may include, but are not limited to, mental health, substance abuse, and developmental disabilities.
     (2) The request for proposal shall require a county or group of counties to address regulatory oversight, risks management, compliance monitoring, service authorization, and care management. It shall also cover the following administrative functions:
     (a) Provider network development and management;
     (b) Access to care;
     (c) Appeals and grievance management;
     (d) Adequate social service array;
     (e) Customer service;
     (f) Quality management;
     (g) Information system management; and
     (h) Fiscal management.
     (3) The department of social and health services shall submit proposed changes in statute and operating budget procedures to the legislature by January 15, 2004, to implement the proposals solicited under this section.