Resident desiring to leave center — Authority to hold resident limited.
RCW 71A.20.140
in effect(1) If a resident of a residential habilitation center desires to leave the center and the secretary believes that departures may be harmful to the resident, the secretary may hold the resident at the residential habilitation center for a period not to exceed forty-eight hours in order to consult with the person's legal representative as provided in RCW 71A.10.070 as to the best interests of the resident. (2) The secretary shall adopt rules to provide for the application of subsection (1) of this section in a manner that protects the constitutional rights of the resident. (3) Neither the secretary nor any person taking action under this section shall be civilly or criminally liable for performing duties under this section if such duties were performed in good faith and without gross negligence.
(1) If a resident of a residential habilitation center desires to leave the center and the secretary believes that departures may be harmful to the resident, the secretary may hold the resident at the residential habilitation center for a period not to exceed forty-eight hours in order to consult with the person's legal representative as provided in RCW 71A.10.070 as to the best interests of the resident.
(2) The secretary shall adopt rules to provide for the application of subsection (1) of this section in a manner that protects the constitutional rights of the resident.
(3) Neither the secretary nor any person taking action under this section shall be civilly or criminally liable for performing duties under this section if such duties were performed in good faith and without gross negligence.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=71A.20&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026