Hospitals-Rules in Progress

Rule making is the process the Department of Health uses when proposing to create, change, or delete rules in order to protect public health. To learn more, see the department’s “What is Rule Making?” webpage.

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Current rules in progress

Hospital at Home

The Department of Health filed a CR-101 on July 31, 2024 (PDF) to consider amendments to WAC 246-320-010, 246-320-199, and to consider creating a new section or sections in chapter 246-320 WAC to add hospital at-home services as a type of service that can be offered by hospitals, establish standards, and consider creating a fee to cover the costs of regulating the hospital at-home service.

Rule-making workshops were held on the following dates and the workshop that was scheduled for October 8, 2024, has been rescheduled for Friday, October 25 at 1:30 p.m. You may register to attend online. 

Interested in receiving email updates with hospital-related information? Subscribe to GovDelivery! Enter your email address and under Facilities, select Hospitals.

Acute Care and Psychiatric hospitals - Fees

On June 25, 2024, at 11 a.m., the Department of Health held a public rule hearing related to initial and annual licensing fees for hospitals to generate the revenue needed to license, perform inspections and investigations, and complete other regulatory work required to protect patient safety. The CR-102 for Acute Care and Psychiatric Hospital Fees was filed on May 21, 2024, as WSR 24-11-118 (PDF) to propose amendments to WACs 246-320-199 and 246-322-990.

The Department of Health is adopting amendments to WAC 246-320-199 and 246-322-990 to update fees for acute care hospitals licensed under chapter 246-320 WAC and private psychiatric hospitals licensed under chapter 246-322 WAC.

These changes address funding needs and to clarify and standardize the language.

To comply with this direction, the Department of Health has issued CR-103P (PDF) and an accompanying concise explanatory statement (PDF) to highlight the necessity for the updated fees. These updates are intended to ensure adequate funding for hospital inspections, investigation, and licensing programs to protect patients.

For additional information, see our hospitals webpage or fees webpage or email the facilities program. 

Supporting Materials:

Acute Care hospitals – 23-hour crisis relief centers

The Department is considering amending the Acute Care Hospital regulations in chapter 246-320 WAC to implement Second Substitute Senate Bill 2SSB 5120 (PDF) relating to 23-hour crisis relief centers, a new type of facility that will provide mental health and substance use crisis response to adults.

CR-101(PDF) - Amending the Acute Care Hospital regulations in chapter 246-320 WAC to establish rules prohibiting hospitals licensed under 70.41 RCW from discharging or transferring a patient to a 23-hour crisis relief center unless the hospital has a formal relationship with the 23-hour crisis relief center.