Second Substitute Senate Bill 6228 – This bill passed in the 2024 Legislative Session and the CR-103 has been filed. This amended RCW 71.24.037 and 2023 c 454 s2 and added a new section that effects RTFs in the following ways:
Model Policy RCW 71.24.847 Transfer of clients—Policy and statistic reporting. This change requires the department to adopt a model policy for licensed or certified behavioral health agencies providing voluntary inpatient or residential substance use disorder treatment services or withdrawal management services to consider when adopting policies related to the transfer or discharge of a person without the person's consent from a facility providing those services (PDF). This is a model only and facilities are encouraged to create their own policy.
It also requires that, beginning July 1, 2025, every licensed or certified behavioral health agency providing voluntary inpatient or residential substance use disorder treatment services or withdrawal management services shall submit a report to the department for each instance in which a person receiving services either: (i) Was transferred or discharged from the facility by the agency without the person's consent; or (ii) released the person's self from the facility prior to a clinical determination that the person had completed treatment. This report is a new requirement to specific RTFs. The report process is simple, quick, and must be completed within 30 days of the event. The reporting form is on our website. The reporting form went ‘live’ as of June 1, 2025, for trial purposes only. It is required July 1, 2025.
RCW 28B.20.550 Alcohol use disorder decision-making tool. This made changes requiring the addictions, drug, and alcohol institute at the University of Washington to create a patient shared decision-making tool to assist behavioral health and medical providers when discussing medication treatment options for patients with alcohol use disorder. The institute will distribute the tool to behavioral health and medical providers and instruct them on ways to incorporate the use of the tool into their practices. This is a tool only, is not required by the Department though positively anticipated and facilities are encouraged to evaluate how they may utilize the tool. Once the tool is finalized there will be a link at this space.