Two bills make significant progress this week that will promote behavioral health resources in Washington.

HB 1134, sponsored by Rep. Tina Orwall (D-Des Moines), creates additional supports for the current 988 behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention system, created by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2020. In 2021, the Washington Legislature passed HB 1477 to support the 988-line plus enhance and expand behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention services. This bill establishes liability protection for several entities and personnel for activities related to the dispatching decisions of the hotline and the transfer of calls between 911 and 988. The bill also creates an endorsement for 988 rapid response crisis teams that meet standards and a grant program to support them. This bill was passed out of the House Appropriations Committee last week.  AWC supports expansion of the 988-line to provide cities with a more robust service for their residents.

SB 5120, sponsored by Sen. Manka Dhingra (D–Redmond), would direct the Department of Health (DOH) to license or certify 23-hour crisis relief center. These centers would be a new type of crisis diversion facility which offers access to behavioral health care to adults and accept all behavioral health walk-ins and drop-offs from first responders. This bill was passed out of the Senate Ways & Means Committee last week. While SB 5120 does not build these facilities, AWC supports this important first step to expanding crisis behavioral health treatment services.

Behavioral health is a top priority for Washington cities this legislative session. In 2022, nearly a quarter of adults with mental illness in Washington state said that they were not able to receive the treatment they needed. Cities are not traditionally direct service providers yet are often tasked with finding solutions for the impacts of the lack of available services.

Additionally, SB 5536, the current Blake bill brings with it substantial behavioral health investments for those with behavioral health issues that are involved in the criminal justice system. AWC wrote about the first substitute version a few weeks ago.