RCW 18.51.220: Retaliation or discrimination against complainant prohibited, penalty—Presumption.

(1) No licensee shall discriminate or retaliate in any manner against a patient or employee in its nursing home on the basis or for the reason that such patient or employee or any other person has initiated or participated in any proceeding specified in this chapter. A licensee who violates this section is subject to a civil penalty of not more than three thousand dollars.

(2) Any attempt to expel a patient from a nursing home, or any type of discriminatory treatment of a patient by whom, or upon whose behalf, a complaint has been submitted to the department or any proceeding instituted under or related to this chapter within one year of the filing of the complaint or the institution of such action, shall raise a rebuttable presumption that such action was taken by the licensee in retaliation for the filing of the complaint.