BILL REQ. #:  S-4795.1 

Read first time 01/29/08.   Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

     AN ACT Relating to reducing certain health professions' license fees; and amending RCW 43.70.250.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 43.70.250 and 2006 c 72 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, 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. Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, in fixing said fees, the secretary shall set the fees for each program at a sufficient level to 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.
     (2)(a) For any profession that the secretary determines meets the criteria in (b) of this subsection, the secretary shall establish the amount of license fees and renewal fees at a rate not to exceed the lesser of ten percent of the cost of administering credentialing and disciplinary activities for the program or one hundred dollars per year.
     (b) The secretary shall determine that a profession qualifies for the alternative fee when the profession:
     (i) Is a licensed profession;
     (ii) Has fewer than two hundred fifty license holders in the profession;
     (iii) The total cost of administering credentialing and disciplinary activities for the profession exceeds two thousand five hundred dollars for each license holder in the profession; and
     (iv) The secretary finds that the services provided by the profession result in proven cost savings to the health care system.