wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > SB 5877 > Original Bill
The commission shall enter into a contract with the entity to implement a physician health program. The commission may enter into a contract with the entity for up to six years in length. The physician health program may include any or all of the following:
Entering into relationships supportive of the physician health program with professionals who provide either evaluation or treatment services, or both;
Receiving and assessing reports of suspected impairment from any source;
Intervening in cases of verified impairment, or in cases where there is reasonable cause to suspect impairment;
Upon reasonable cause, referring suspected or verified impaired physicians for evaluation or treatment;
Monitoring the treatment and rehabilitation of participants including those ordered by the commission;
Providing monitoring and care management support of program participants;
Performing such other activities as agreed upon by the commission and the entity; and
Providing prevention and education services.
A contract entered into under subsection (1) of this section shall be financed by a surcharge of $70 per year or equivalent on each license renewal or issuance of a new license to be collected by the department of health from every practitioner under the purview of the commission including, but not limited to, physicians, physician assistants, and anesthesiologist assistants in addition to other license fees. These surcharges shall be placed in the impaired physician account to be used solely to support the physician health program.
All funds in the impaired physician account shall be paid to the contract entity within sixty days of deposit.
The commission shall adopt rules fixing the qualifications and the educational and training requirements for licensure as an anesthesiologist assistant. The requirements shall include completion of an anesthesiologist assistant program accredited by the commission on accreditation of allied health education programs, or successor organization, and within one year successfully taking and passing an examination administered by the national commission for the certification of anesthesiologist assistants or other examination approved by the commission.
Applicants for licensure shall file an application with the commission on a form prepared by the secretary with the approval of the commission, detailing the education, training, and experience of the applicant and such other information as the commission may require. The application shall be accompanied by a fee determined by the secretary as provided in RCW 43.70.250 and 43.70.280. A surcharge of $70 per year shall be charged on each license renewal or issuance of a new license to be collected by the department of health and deposited into the impaired physician account for certified anesthesiologist assistant participation in the physician health program. Each applicant shall furnish proof satisfactory to the commission of the following:
That the applicant has completed an accredited anesthesiologist assistant program approved by the commission and is eligible to take the examination approved by the commission; and
That the applicant is physically and mentally capable of practicing as an anesthesiologist assistant with reasonable skill and safety. The commission may require an applicant to submit to such examination or examinations as it deems necessary to determine an applicant's physical or mental capability, or both, to safely practice as an anesthesiologist assistant.
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The commission may approve, deny, or take other disciplinary action upon the application for a license as provided in the uniform disciplinary act, chapter 18.130 RCW.
The license shall be renewed as determined under RCW 43.70.250 and 43.70.280. The commission shall request licensees to submit information about their current professional practice at the time of license renewal and licensees must provide the information requested.
No person shall practice as an anesthesiologist assistant or represent that they are a "certified anesthesiologist assistant" or "anesthesiologist assistant" or "C.A.A." or "A.A." without a license granted by the commission.
The secretary shall charge fees to the licensee for obtaining a license. Physicians regulated pursuant to chapter 18.71 RCW who reside and practice in Washington and obtain or renew a retired active license are exempt from such fees. Municipal corporations providing emergency medical care and transportation services pursuant to chapter 18.73 RCW shall be exempt from such fees, provided that such other emergency services shall only be charged for their pro rata share of the cost of licensure and inspection, if appropriate. The secretary may charge different fees for registered nurses licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW, licensed practical nurses licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW, and nurses who hold a valid multistate license issued by the state of Washington under chapter 18.80 RCW. The secretary may waive the fees when, in the discretion of the secretary, the fees would not be in the best interest of public health and safety, or when the fees would be to the financial disadvantage of the state.
Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, fees charged shall be based on, but shall not exceed, the cost to the department for the licensure of the activity or class of activities and may include costs of necessary inspection.
License fees shall include amounts in addition to the cost of licensure activities in the following circumstances:
For registered nurses and licensed practical nurses licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW, and for nurses who hold a valid multistate license issued by the state of Washington under chapter 18.80 RCW, support of a central nursing resource center as provided in RCW 18.79.202;
For all health care providers licensed under RCW 18.130.040, the cost of regulatory activities for retired volunteer medical worker licensees as provided in RCW 18.130.360; and
For every practitioner under the purview of the Washington medical commission including, but not limited to, physicians, physician assistants, anesthesiologist assistants licensed by the Washington medical commission, osteopathic physicians licensed under chapter 18.57 RCW, naturopaths licensed under chapter 18.36A RCW, podiatrists licensed under chapter 18.22 RCW, chiropractors licensed under chapter 18.25 RCW, psychologists and psychological associates licensed under chapter 18.83 RCW, registered nurses and licensed practical nurses licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW, nurses who hold a valid multistate license issued by the state of Washington under chapter 18.80 RCW, optometrists licensed under chapter 18.53 RCW, mental health counselors and mental health counselor associates licensed under chapter 18.225 RCW, massage therapists licensed under chapter 18.108 RCW, advanced social workers licensed under chapter 18.225 RCW, independent clinical social workers and independent clinical social worker associates licensed under chapter 18.225 RCW, midwives licensed under chapter 18.50 RCW, marriage and family therapists and marriage and family therapist associates licensed under chapter 18.225 RCW, occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants licensed under chapter 18.59 RCW, dietitians and nutritionists certified under chapter 18.138 RCW, speech-language pathologists licensed under chapter 18.35 RCW, acupuncturists or acupuncture and Eastern medicine practitioners licensed under chapter 18.06 RCW, and veterinarians and veterinary technicians licensed under chapter 18.92 RCW, the license fees shall include up to an additional twenty-five dollars to be transferred by the department to the University of Washington for the purposes of RCW 43.70.112.
Department of health advisory committees may review fees established by the secretary for licenses and comment upon the appropriateness of the level of such fees.