H-991                _______________________________________________

                                                    HOUSE BILL NO. 515

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Representatives Ballard, Brekke, B. Williams, Kremen, Sanders, Scott, Fuhrman, Prince, Schoon, Brooks, Van Luven, Lewis, Dobbs, Bond, Betrozoff, Winsley, van Dyke, May, Braddock, Zellinsky, Crane, J. Williams, Isaacson, Addison, Holland, Hastings and Miller

Read first time 2/6/85 and referred to Committee on Social & Health Services.

AN ACT Relating to vendor payments by the department of social and health services; and adding a new section to chapter 43.20A RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 43.20A RCW to read as follows:

          The department shall promptly pay vendors for services provided.  If payments or partial payments are erroneously or improperly withheld, the department is liable to the vendor for the payment and for interest on the payments at the rate of one percent per month or one dollar per month, whichever is greater.

          Interest shall begin to accrue one hundred twenty days after notice of the withheld payments has been received by the department and shall be paid to the vendor within thirty days of a final decision regarding the withheld payments in favor of the vendor.

          For purposes of this section, "final decision" means a decision regarding the withheld payments made by the secretary or the secretary's designee.