Subject of Possible Rule Making: WAC 246-254-053 Radiation machine facility fees. The department of health (department) is considering amending registration and tube fees to cover operating costs. This may include updating or restructuring existing fees or creating new fees.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Per RCW 43.70.250, the secretary of health (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 (licensees) administered by the department. Any and all fees or assessments, or both, levied on the state to cover the costs of the operations and activities shall be borne by the persons who hold licenses. 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.

The department has completed an initial assessment of the radiation machine program fiscal resources and determined the program is not generating sufficient revenue to cover the cost of the program over the fiscal planning period. The program is also reviewing machine categories to better align with current classifications and may update or restructure existing fees and may propose new fees for radiation machine facilities. This rule making will not alter or change any professional license fees that radiation professionals currently pay (e.g., radiation technician, radiation technologist). This fee rule applies to facilities that pay registration fees for radiation machine facilities and tube fees for radiation machines.

Process for Developing New Rule: The department will use a collaborative rule-making approach by keeping interested parties informed of the rule development through email, and posting information on the department's rule-making websites. Interested parties will have the opportunity to provide comments throughout the rule-making process and at the public hearing.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Peter Beaton, P.O. Box 47820, Olympia, WA 98504-7820, phone 360-236-4031, email peter.beaton@doh.wa.gov, website www.doh.wa.gov; or Richard Montemarano, P.O. Box 47820, Olympia, WA 98504-7820, phone 360-236-3238, email Richard.Montemarano@doh.wa.gov, website www.doh.wa.gov.

Additional comments: Interested parties may receive rule-making notices by signing up for our email list at https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/radiation/e-mail-lists.