(1) For the purposes of this section, "hospital" means a hospital as defined in *RCW 70.41.020(2) or a **psychiatric hospital regulated under chapter 71.12 RCW, but does not include beds utilized by a comprehensive cancer center for cancer research.

(2)(a) Any two or more employers which are school districts or educational service districts, or (b) any two or more employers which are public hospital districts or hospitals, and are owned or operated by a state agency or municipal corporation of this state, or (c) any two or more employers which are hospitals, no one of which is owned or operated by a state agency or municipal corporation of this state, may enter into agreements to form self-insurance groups for the purposes of this chapter.

(3) No more than one group may be formed under subsection (2)(b) of this section and no more than one group may be formed under subsection (2)(c) of this section.

(4) The self-insurance groups shall be organized and operated under rules promulgated by the director under RCW 51.14.160. Such a self-insurance group shall be deemed an employer for the purposes of this chapter, and may qualify as a self-insurer if it meets all the other requirements of this chapter.

Reviser's note: *(1) RCW 70.41.020 was amended by 2002 c 116 s 2, changing subsection (2) to subsection (4). RCW 70.41.020 was subsequently alphabetized pursuant to RCW 1.08.015(2)(k), changing subsection (4) to subsection (5). RCW 70.41.020 was subsequently amended by 2016 c 226 s 1, changing subsection (5) to subsection (7). RCW 70.41.020 was subsequently amended by 2021 c 157 s 3, changing subsection (7) to subsection (8).

**(2) The term "psychiatric hospital" was changed to "behavioral health hospital" by 2024 c 121 s 19.

Severability—1982 c 191: See note following RCW 28A.335.210.

Educational service district as self-insurer—Authority: RCW 28A.310.440.

School district as self-insurer—Authority: RCW 28A.320.070.