BILL REQ. #:  S-2386.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/28/07.   

     AN ACT Relating to access to medical information for health professionals; amending RCW 43.70.250; adding a new section to chapter 43.70 RCW; and adding a new section to chapter 28B.20 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 43.70 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The legislature finds that health professionals require easy and timely access to medical journals and other related scientific and evidence-based information on a regular basis to enhance evidence-based medical practice. The University of Washington health sciences library has numerous medical journals, extensive databases, and decision support tools, indexed and current, online and in other forms, for all health professionals with teaching appointments at the university. Other material critical to ensuring high quality care may be available in the future, including certified patient aids for use in shared decision making with patients contemplating treatment options. Washington health professionals without these appointments do not currently have access to all of these journals and related materials.
     (2) Health professionals shall pay a fee of twenty-five dollars in addition to their annual licensing fee to the department of health. This money shall be used to provide access for all health professionals in the state to critical evidence-based resources and tools online and otherwise from the University of Washington health sciences library.
     (3) The department of health shall provide funds from the fees from health professionals under this section to the University of Washington for this purpose and shall arrange access for each licensed health professional in the mailing of his or her annual license.
     (4) As used in this section, "health professionals" means physicians licensed under chapter 18.71 RCW, osteopathic physicians licensed under chapter 18.57 RCW, physician assistants licensed under chapter 18.71A RCW, osteopathic physicians' assistants licensed under chapter 18.57A RCW, advanced registered nurse practitioners licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW, optometrists licensed under chapter 18.53 RCW, pharmacists licensed under chapter 18.64 RCW, naturopaths licensed under chapter 18.36A RCW, and podiatric physicians licensed under chapter 18.22 RCW.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28B.20 RCW to read as follows:
     The University of Washington shall cooperate with the department of health in the implementation of section 1 of this act.

Sec. 3   RCW 43.70.250 and 2006 c 72 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     It shall be the policy of the state of Washington that the cost of each professional, occupational, or business licensing program be fully borne by the members of that profession, occupation, or business. The secretary shall from time to time establish the amount of all application fees, license fees, registration fees, examination fees, permit fees, renewal fees, and any other fee associated with licensing or regulation of professions, occupations, or businesses administered by the department. In fixing said fees, the secretary shall set the fees for each program at a sufficient level to include the fee established in section 1 of this act and defray the costs of administering that program and the cost of regulating licensed volunteer medical workers in accordance with RCW 18.130.360, except as provided in RCW 18.79.202 until June 30, 2013. All such fees shall be fixed by rule adopted by the secretary in accordance with the provisions of the administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW.