Bill > HB1477

This bill: - Establishes crisis call center hubs to respond to calls made to the 988 crisis hotline and provide crisis intervention, triage, care coordination, referrals, and connections to individuals contacting the 988 crisis hotline. The Department of Health will designate these hubs by July 1, 2024. - Requires the Department of Health and Health Care Authority to coordinate the development of technology platforms to manage the crisis response system, including real-time bed availability and means to request and track crisis response services. - Creates the Crisis Response Improvement Strategy Committee to provide recommendations for implementing and monitoring the 988 crisis hotline and improving the statewide behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention system. - Imposes a statewide excise tax on radio access lines, interconnected voice over internet protocol service lines, and switched access lines to fund the 988 crisis hotline and crisis response services. - Requires health plans to provide next-day appointments for enrollees experiencing urgent, symptomatic behavioral health conditions. - Provides funding and oversight for the implementation of the 988 crisis hotline and development of the crisis response system.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1477&Year=2021&Initiative=false