(1) No person, association, county, municipality, public hospital district, or corporation, shall establish or keep, for compensation or hire, an establishment as defined in this chapter without first having obtained a license therefor from the department of health, complied with rules adopted under this chapter, and paid the license fee provided in this chapter.

(2)(a) Beginning no later than July 1, 2025, the department shall issue a license under this chapter to an Indian health care provider, as defined in RCW 71.24.025, attesting to have met the state minimum standards as an establishment if the Indian health care provider submits to the department a tribal attestation and payment of an administrative processing fee as established in rule. The department shall establish the administrative processing fee at a level sufficient to cover the administrative processing costs for the attestation while recognizing the reduced cost of an attestation compared to a standard license.

(b) The issuance of a license under (a) of this subsection to an Indian health care provider only applies to holding a license under this chapter and does not satisfy any requirements that the Indian health care provider may have to meet other credentialing standards including, but not limited to, any licensure and certification requirements for behavioral health agencies under chapter 71.24 RCW, any certificate of need requirements under chapter 70.38 RCW, any construction review requirements, any applicable test site requirements under chapter 70.42 RCW, any applicable pharmacy [quality assurance] commission requirements, any fire protection standards established by the director of fire protection of the Washington state patrol, and any regulations established by local authorities.

(3) Any person who carries on, conducts, or attempts to carry on or conduct an establishment as defined in this chapter without first having obtained a license from the department of health, as in this chapter provided, is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction thereof shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding six months, or by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, or by both such fine and imprisonment. The managing and executive officers of any corporation violating the provisions of this chapter shall be liable under the provisions of this chapter in the same manner and to the same effect as a private individual violating the same.

Effective date—Severability—1989 1st ex.s. c 9: See RCW 43.70.910 and 43.70.920.