RCW 72.23.230 Patient's property—Superintendent as custodian—Management and accounting.

The superintendent of a state hospital shall be the custodian without compensation of such personal property of a patient involuntarily hospitalized therein as may come into the superintendent's possession while the patient is under the jurisdiction of the hospital. As such custodian, the superintendent shall have authority to disburse moneys from the patients' funds for the following purposes only and subject to the following limitations:

(1) The superintendent may disburse any of the funds in his or her possession belonging to a patient for such personal needs of that patient as may be deemed necessary by the superintendent; and

(2) Whenever the funds belonging to any one patient exceed the sum of one thousand dollars or a greater sum as established by rules and regulations of the department, the superintendent may apply the excess to reimbursement for state hospitalization and/or outpatient charges of such patient to the extent of a notice and finding of responsibility issued under RCW 43.20B.340; and

(3) When a patient is paroled, the superintendent shall deliver unto the said patient all or such portion of the funds or other property belonging to the patient as the superintendent may deem necessary and proper in the interests of the patient's welfare, and the superintendent may during the parole period deliver to the patient such additional property or funds belonging to the patient as the superintendent may from time to time determine necessary and proper. When a patient is discharged from the jurisdiction of the hospital, the superintendent shall deliver to such patient all funds or other property belonging to the patient, subject to the conditions of subsection (2) of this section.

All funds held by the superintendent as custodian may be deposited in a single fund. Annual reports of receipts and expenditures shall be forwarded to the department, and shall be open to inspection by interested parties: PROVIDED, That all interest accruing from, or as a result of the deposit of such moneys in a single fund shall be used by the superintendent for the general welfare of all the patients of such institution: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That when the personal accounts of patients exceed three hundred dollars, the interest accruing from such excess shall be credited to the personal accounts of such patients. All such expenditures shall be accounted for by the superintendent.

The appointment of a guardian for the estate of such patient shall terminate the superintendent's authority to pay state hospitalization charges from funds subject to the control of the guardianship upon the superintendent's receipt of a certified copy of letters of guardianship. Upon the guardian's request, the superintendent shall forward to such guardian any funds subject to the control of the guardianship or other property of the patient remaining in the superintendent's possession, together with a final accounting of receipts and expenditures.

[ 2012 c 117 § 469; 1987 c 75 § 21; 1985 c 245 § 4; 1971 c 82 § 1; 1959 c 60 § 1; 1959 c 28 § 72.23.230. Prior: 1953 c 217 § 2; 1951 c 139 § 49. Formerly RCW 71.02.570.]

NOTES:

Savings—1987 c 75: See RCW 43.20B.900.

Guardianship of estate: Chapters 11.88 and 11.92 RCW.