SB 5120 establishes 23-hour crisis relief centers, a new category of credentialed behavioral health facilities in Washington state. 23-hour crisis relief centers would be open 24 hours per day, seven days a week and accept anyone in a behavioral health crisis who walks in the door, are brought in by first responders, or are referred through the 988 behavioral health crisis system. With very limited exceptions, all law enforcement referrals would need to be accepted. Centers would provide services and coordinate care, limiting patient stays to less than 24 hours in most cases. The bill would also eliminate triage facilities as a behavioral health category and convert those existing triage facilities into crisis stabilization units.

AWC will be monitoring the state budget proposals, to be released this week and next week, to assess the level of state investment in constructing and operating these new crisis stabilization centers. The bill creates the first step of a positive regulatory framework, and we will work with legislators to continue to express support for crisis behavioral health investments throughout the state.

HB 1134 adds additional supports for the current 988 behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention system, created by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2020. 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.

AWC supports both bills’ intent to increase access to crisis behavioral health 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.

Dates to remember

SB 5120 is scheduled for a vote in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness on Wednesday, March 22 at 1:30 pm.

HB 1134 is scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee on Thursday, March 23 at 10:30 am.