H-1458.2
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1218
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By House Civil Rights & Judiciary (originally sponsored by Representatives Farivar, Macri, Reed, Simmons, Wylie, Pollet, Street, Ormsby, Scott, Salahuddin, Parshley, and Hill; by request of Governor Inslee)
READ FIRST TIME 02/20/25.
AN ACT Relating to persons referred for competency evaluation and restoration services within the framework of the forensic mental health care system consistent with the requirements agreed to in the Trueblood settlement agreement; amending RCW 10.77.074 , 10.77.084 , 10.77.086 , 10.77.088 , and 10.77.092 ; reenacting and amending RCW 43.84.092 and 43.84.092 ; adding new sections to chapter 10.77 RCW; creating a new section; providing an effective date; and providing expiration dates.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that individuals referred for services related to competency to stand trial requiring admission into a psychiatric facility are experiencing significantly reduced wait times for competency services. In order to preserve these critical gains, for the benefit of the state and those individuals awaiting services, the legislature finds that implementing measures to reduce the continued growth of referrals to the competency system are necessary. The state's forensic bed capacity forecast model indicates that if the state continues to receive competency referrals from local superior, district, and municipal courts at the same volume, the state will again fall behind.
The legislature further finds that historical investments and policy changes have been made in behavioral health services over the past several years, designed to both increase capacity to provide competency to stand trial services and to reduce the need for them by creating opportunities for diversion, prevention, and improved community health. New construction at western state hospital has resulted in the opening of 58 forensic psychiatric beds in the first quarter of 2023, while emergency community hospital contracts expanded to allow for the discharge or transfer of over 50 civil conversion patients occupying forensic state hospital beds over the same period. Sixteen beds for civil conversion patients opened at Maple Lane school in the first quarter of 2023, with 30 additional beds for patients acquitted by reason of insanity opened in early 2024. The state also acquired a new facility in 2024, now known as Olympic Heritage behavioral health, which added to this historic rise in bed capacity in the state of Washington. Over a longer time period, 350 forensic beds are planned to open within a new forensic hospital on the western state hospital campus between 2028 and 2029. Policy and budget changes have increased capacity for assisted outpatient treatment, 988 crisis response, use of medication for opioid use disorders in jails and community settings, reentry services, and mental health advance directives, and created new behavioral health facility types, supportive housing, and supportive employment services. Forensic navigator services, outpatient competency restoration programs, clinical intervention specialists and other specialty forensic services are now available and continuing to be deployed in phase one, two, and three Trueblood settlement regions.