Title: An act relating to care facilities.

Brief Description: Concerning assisted care facilities.

Sponsors: By House Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Representatives Schual-Berke, Hinkle, Cody, Skinner and Moeller).

Brief History:

Health Care: 2/22/05, 2/28/05 [DPS].

Floor Activity:

Passed House: 3/15/05, 94-2.
Senate Amended.
Passed Senate: 4/7/05, 46-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 11 members: Representatives Cody, Chair; Campbell, Vice Chair; Morrell, Vice Chair; Appleton, Clibborn, Green, Hinkle, Lantz, Moeller, Schual-Berke and Skinner.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 4 members: Representatives Bailey, Ranking Minority Member; Curtis, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Alexander and Condotta.

Staff: Dave Knutson (786-7146).

Background:

Boarding homes are facilities that provide housing and basic services, and assume general responsibility for the safety and well-being of residents. The Department of Social and Health Services is responsible for licensing and overseeing the operation of boarding homes. The Department of Health is responsible for the construction review and approval process.

Summary of Substitute Bill:

The Departments of Health and Social and Health Services, and the Building Code Council will develop standards for small boarding homes. The Department of Health and the Building Code Council will study the risks and benefits of modifying and simplifying construction and equipment standards for small boarding homes, and report their findings to the Legislature by December 1, 2005.

EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENT(S):

The DSHS is required to implement a food safety component as part of the required training for staff and providers in adult family homes. Food handler permits will not be necessary for persons working in adult family homes after June 30, 2005 who successfully complete training requirements. Employees or providers who have food handler permits prior to June 30, 2005 must maintain continuing education classes of one half hours per hear to maintain the food handling and safety training but do not need to renew the permit if they receive the continuing education.

A special capacity adult family home licensed to provide services to seven or eight residents is created. Prior to licensing an adult family home as a special capacity adult family home, the DSHS must consider the prior compliance history of the licensee, the experience level of the licensee, the adequacy of the physical space in the home, and the numbers, qualifications, and training of readily available staff.

Adult family homes licensed for seven or eight residents must install smoke detectors that are interconnected and monitored by a central monitoring company. Adult family homes licensed for seven or 8 residents must have a residential automatic fire sprinkler system. The sprinkler system must be inspected annually by a state certified inspection and testing technician.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: It is extremely difficult to design, gain approval, and build small boarding homes. Something needs to be done to simplify and expedite the construction approval process.

Testimony Against: It is unclear why a new category of boarding home is being established. The language related to serving clients with the same level of acuity in adult family homes and boarding homes is unclear. This could be a back door way of creating nursing homes without client protections.

Persons Testifying: (In support) Representative Schual-Berke, prime sponsor; Bill Day and Richard Moore, Adult Family Home Association of Washington; and Nora Gibson, Elder Health Northwest.

(Opposed) Louise Ryan and Jeff Collard, Long Term Care Ombudsman Program; Hilke Faber, Resident Councils of Washington; and Julie Peterson, Washington Association of Housing and Services for the Aging.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.