CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

ENGROSSED SENATE BILL 6194

Chapter 237, Laws of 2006

59th Legislature
2006 Regular Session



HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS--MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION



EFFECTIVE DATE: 6/7/06

Passed by the Senate March 7, 2006
  YEAS 35   NAYS 12

BRAD OWEN
________________________________________    
President of the Senate
Passed by the House March 1, 2006
  YEAS 67   NAYS 31

FRANK CHOPP
________________________________________    
Speaker of the House of Representatives


 
CERTIFICATE

I, Thomas Hoemann, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is ENGROSSED SENATE BILL 6194 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.

THOMAS HOEMANN
________________________________________    
Secretary
Approved March 27, 2006.








CHRISTINE GREGOIRE
________________________________________    
Governor of the State of Washington
 
FILED
March 27, 2006 - 2:45 p.m.







Secretary of State
State of Washington


_____________________________________________ 

ENGROSSED SENATE BILL 6194
_____________________________________________

AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

Passed Legislature - 2006 Regular Session
State of Washington59th Legislature2006 Regular Session

By Senators Franklin, Regala, Keiser, Eide, Prentice, Thibaudeau, Jacobsen, Fairley, McAuliffe, Fraser, Spanel, Kline, Kohl-Welles and Shin

Read first time 01/09/2006.   Referred to Committee on Health & Long-Term Care.



     AN ACT Relating to multicultural education for health professionals; adding a new section to chapter 43.70 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 women and people of color experience significant disparities from the general population in education, employment, healthy living conditions, access to health care, and other social determinants of health. The legislature finds that it shall be a priority for the state to develop the knowledge, attitudes, and practice skills of health professionals and those working with diverse populations to achieve a greater understanding of the relationship between culture and health and gender and health.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.70 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) For the purposes of this section, "multicultural health" means the provision of health care services with the knowledge and awareness of the causes and effects of the determinants of health that lead to disparities in health status between different genders and racial and ethnic populations and the practice skills necessary to respond appropriately.
     (2) The department, in consultation with the disciplining authorities as defined in RCW 18.130.040, shall establish, within available department general funds, an ongoing multicultural health awareness and education program as an integral part of its health professions regulation. The purpose of the education program is to raise awareness and educate health care professionals regarding the knowledge, attitudes, and practice skills necessary to care for diverse populations to achieve a greater understanding of the relationship between culture and health. The disciplining authorities having the authority to offer continuing education may provide training in the dynamics of providing culturally competent, multicultural health care to diverse populations. Any such education shall be developed in collaboration with education programs that train students in that health profession. A disciplining authority may require that instructors of continuing education or continuing competency programs integrate multicultural health into their curricula when it is appropriate to the subject matter of the instruction. No funds from the health professions account may be utilized to fund activities under this section unless the disciplining authority authorizes expenditures from its proportions of the account. A disciplining authority may defray costs by authorizing a fee to be charged for participants or materials relating to any sponsored program.
     (3) By July 1, 2008, each education program with a curriculum to train health professionals for employment in a profession credentialed by a disciplining authority under chapter 18.130 RCW shall integrate into the curriculum instruction in multicultural health as part of its basic education preparation curriculum. The department may not deny the application of any applicant for a credential to practice a health profession on the basis that the education or training program that the applicant successfully completed did not include integrated multicultural health curriculum as part of its basic instruction.


         Passed by the Senate March 7, 2006.
         Passed by the House March 1, 2006.
         Approved by the Governor March 27, 2006.
         Filed in Office of Secretary of State March 27, 2006.