The bill amends Washington state law to establish regulations for medical foster homes specifically designed for veterans. It introduces a new definition for "medical foster home" under RCW 70.128.030, which specifies that these homes provide care exclusively to three or fewer veterans and are subject to oversight and annual reviews by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill also modifies the definitions in RCW 74.39A.009 to include "medical foster home caregivers" as part of the long-term care workforce, ensuring they are recognized alongside other direct care workers. Additionally, it updates RCW 74.34.020 to classify medical foster homes as "facilities," thereby extending the same protections and regulations that apply to other licensed care facilities.

Moreover, the bill enhances the legal framework surrounding the care and protection of vulnerable adults by introducing new definitions for various terms related to long-term care and establishing a "vulnerable adult advocacy team" to address issues of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. It mandates that all long-term care workers undergo state and federal background checks, requiring those hired after January 7, 2012, to submit fingerprints for thorough verification. Importantly, the bill prohibits passing the costs of these background checks onto workers or their employers and expands the definition of "provider" to include caregivers of medical foster homes, thereby strengthening the regulatory oversight for individuals with unsupervised access to vulnerable adults.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 70.128.030
Substitute Bill: 70.128.030, 74.39A.009, 74.34.020, 74.39A.056
Engrossed Substitute: 70.128.030, 74.39A.009, 74.34.020, 74.39A.056
Bill as Passed Legislature: 70.128.030, 74.39A.009, 74.34.020, 74.39A.056
Session Law: 70.128.030, 74.39A.009, 74.34.020, 74.39A.056