BILL REQ. #:  S-2989.1 

READ FIRST TIME 05/06/11.   

     AN ACT Relating to the expansion of family planning services to two hundred fifty percent of the federal poverty level; amending RCW 74.09.659; adding a new section to chapter 74.09 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 74.09 RCW to read as follows:
     The legislature finds that:
     (1) Over half of all births in Washington state are covered by public programs;
     (2) Research has demonstrated that children of unintended pregnancies receive less prenatal care and are at higher risk for premature birth, low birth weight, neurological disorders, and poor academic performance;
     (3) In Washington state, over fifty percent of unintended pregnancies occur in women age twenty-five years and older;
     (4) Washington state's take charge program has been successful in helping women avoid unintended pregnancies; however, when the caseload declined due to federally mandated changes, the rate of unintended pregnancies increased dramatically;
     (5) Expanding family planning services to cover women to two hundred fifty percent of the federal poverty level would align that program's eligibility standard with income eligibility for publicly funded maternity care service; and
     (6) Such an expansion would reduce unintended pregnancies and associated costs to the state.

Sec. 2   RCW 74.09.659 and 2009 c 545 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The department shall continue to submit applications for the family planning waiver program.
     (2) The department shall submit a request to the federal department of health and human services to amend the current family planning waiver program as follows:
     (a) Provide coverage for sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment;
     (b) Return to the eligibility standards used in 2005 including, but not limited to, citizenship determination based on declaration or matching with federal social security databases, insurance eligibility standards comparable to 2005, and confidential service availability for minors and survivors of domestic and sexual violence; and
     (c) ((Within available funds,)) By September 30, 2011, submit an application to increase income eligibility to two hundred fifty percent of the federal poverty level, to correspond with income eligibility for publicly funded maternity care services.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   Upon implementation of the expansion directed in RCW 74.09.659, the office of financial management shall reduce general fund--state allotments for the medical assistance program by one million five hundred thousand dollars for fiscal year 2012 and by two million three hundred fifty thousand dollars for fiscal year 2013. The amounts reduced from allotments shall be placed in reserve status and remain unexpended.