S-4975.1

SENATE BILL 6061

BySenators Becker and Conway

AN ACT Relating to requiring training standards in providing telemedicine services; and amending RCW 43.70.495.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 43.70.495 and 2019 c 48 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The legislature finds that a large segment of Washington residents do not have access to critical health care services. Telemedicine is a way to increase access to health care services to those who would otherwise not have reasonable access. The legislature therefore intends to ensure that health care professionals who provide services through telemedicine, as defined in RCW 70.41.020, in cities and rural areas alike, have current information available, making it possible for them to provide telemedicine services to the entire state of Washington.

(2) Beginning January 1, ((2020))2021, a health care professional who provides clinical services through telemedicine ((may)), other than a physician licensed under chapter 18.71 RCW or an osteopathic physician licensed under chapter 18.57 RCW, shall complete a telemedicine training. By January 1, 2020, the telemedicine collaborative shall make a telemedicine training available on its web site for use by health care professionals who use telemedicine technology. If a health care professional completes the training, the health care professional shall sign and retain an attestation. The training:

(a) Must include information on current state and federal law, liability, informed consent, and other criteria established by the collaborative for the advancement of telemedicine, in collaboration with the department and the Washington state medical quality assurance commission;

(b) Must include a question and answer methodology to demonstrate accrual of knowledge; and

(c) May be made available in electronic format and completed over the internet.

(3) The training may be incorporated into existing telemedicine training programs, provided that the training meets the requirements in subsection (2) of this section.

(4) For purposes of this section, a "health care professional" means a person licensed, registered, or certified to provide health services.

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