BILL REQ. #:  S-5082.1 

Read first time 02/07/08.   Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

     AN ACT Relating to veterans' personal needs allowances; and amending RCW 72.36.160.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 72.36.160 and 1993 sp.s. c 3 s 9 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The legislature finds that to meet the objectives of RCW 72.36.1601, the personal needs allowance for all nursing care residents of the state veterans' homes shall be an amount approved by the federal health care financing authority, but not less than ninety dollars or more than one hundred sixty dollars per month during periods of residency. For all domiciliary residents, the personal needs allowance shall be one hundred sixty dollars per month, or a higher amount defined in rules adopted by the department.
     (2) The personal needs allowances established in or pursuant to this section shall be adjusted for inflation by the department each year based upon changes in the consumer price index during that time period. "Consumer price index" means, for any calendar year, the year's annual average consumer price index for Washington state compiled by the United States department of labor's bureau of labor statistics. If the bureau of labor statistics develops more than one consumer price index for areas within this state, the index covering the greatest number of people, covering areas exclusively within the boundaries of the state, and including all items shall be used for the adjustments for inflation in this section. The department must calculate the new personal needs allowances and transmit them to the office of the code reviser for publication in the Washington State Register at least one month before the new personal needs allowances are to take effect.