CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

 

                  SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5011

 

 

                   Chapter 214, Laws of 1999

 

 

                        56th Legislature

                      1999 Regular Session

 

 

DANGEROUS MENTALLY ILL OFFENDERS

 

 

 

EFFECTIVE DATE:  7/25/99 - Except sections 1, 2, and 4 through 9 which become effective 3/15/2000.

Passed by the Senate March 12, 1999

  YEAS 49   NAYS 0

 

 

               BRAD OWEN

President of the Senate

 

Passed by the House April 25, 1999

  YEAS 94   NAYS 2

             CERTIFICATE

 

I, Tony M. Cook, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is  SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5011 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.

 

 

             CLYDE BALLARD

Speaker of the

      House of Representatives

            TONY M. COOK

                            Secretary

 

 

 

              FRANK CHOPP

Speaker of the

      House of Representatives

 

 

Approved May 7, 1999 Place Style On Codes above, and Style Off Codes below.  

                                FILED          

 

 

              May 7, 1999 - 4:01 p.m.

 

 

 

              GARY LOCKE

Governor of the State of Washington

                 Secretary of State

                 State of Washington


          _______________________________________________

 

                    SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5011

          _______________________________________________

 

             Passed Legislature - 1999 Regular Session

 

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

 

By Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections (originally sponsored by Senators Long, Hargrove, Franklin, Loveland, Winsley, Patterson, Deccio, McCaslin, Goings, Oke and Costa)

 

Read first time 02/16/1999.

Changing provisions relating to dangerous mentally ill offenders.  


    AN ACT Relating to dangerous mentally ill offenders; amending RCW 71.05.212, 71.24.015, and 71.24.300; adding new sections to chapter 72.09 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 71.05 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 71.24 RCW; creating new sections; and providing an effective date.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  The legislature intends to improve the process of identifying, and providing additional mental health treatment for, persons:  (1) Determined to be dangerous to themselves or others as a result of a mental disorder or a combination of a mental disorder and chemical dependency or abuse; and (2) under, or being released from, confinement or partial confinement of the department of corrections.

    The legislature does not create a presumption that any person subject to the provisions of this act is dangerous as a result of a mental disorder or chemical dependency or abuse.  The legislature intends that every person subject to the provisions of this act retain the amount of liberty consistent with his or her condition, behavior, and legal status and that any restraint of liberty be done solely on the basis of forensic and clinical practices and standards.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 72.09 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The secretary shall identify offenders in confinement or partial confinement who:  (a) Are reasonably believed to be dangerous to themselves or others; and (b) have a mental disorder.  In determining an offender's dangerousness, the secretary shall consider behavior known to the department and factors, based on research, that are linked to an increased risk for dangerousness of mentally ill offenders and shall include consideration of an offender's chemical dependency or abuse.

    (2) Prior to release of an offender identified under this section, a team consisting of representatives of the department of corrections, the division of mental health, and, as necessary, other divisions or administrations within the department of social and health services, specifically including the division of alcohol and substance abuse and the division of developmental disabilities, the appropriate regional support network, and the providers, as appropriate, shall develop a plan, as determined necessary by the team, for delivery of treatment and support services to the offender upon release.  The team may include a school district representative for offenders under the age of twenty-one.  The team shall consult with the offender's counsel, if any, and, as appropriate, the offender's family and community.  The team shall notify the crime victim/witness program, which shall provide notice to all people registered to receive notice under RCW 9.94A.155 of the proposed release plan developed by the team.  Victims, witnesses, and other interested people notified by the department may provide information and comments to the department on potential safety risk to specific individuals or classes of individuals posed by the specific offender.  The team may recommend:  (a) That the offender be evaluated by the county designated mental health professional, as defined in chapter 71.05 RCW; (b) department-supervised community treatment; or (c) voluntary community mental health or chemical dependency or abuse treatment.

    (3) Prior to release of an offender identified under this section, the team shall determine whether or not an evaluation by a county designated mental health professional is needed.  If an evaluation is recommended, the supporting documentation shall be immediately forwarded to the appropriate county designated mental health professional.  The supporting documentation shall include the offender's criminal history, history of judicially required or administratively ordered involuntary antipsychotic medication while in confinement, and any known history of involuntary civil commitment.

    (4) If an evaluation by a county designated mental health professional is recommended by the team, such evaluation shall occur not more than ten days, nor less than five days, prior to release.

    (5) A second evaluation by a county designated mental health professional shall occur on the day of release if requested by the team, based upon new information or a change in the offender's mental condition, and the initial evaluation did not result in an emergency detention or a summons under chapter 71.05 RCW.

    (6) If the county designated mental health professional determines an emergency detention under chapter 71.05 RCW is necessary, the department shall release the offender only to a state hospital or to a consenting evaluation and treatment facility.  The department shall arrange transportation of the offender to the hospital or facility.

    (7) If the county designated mental health professional believes that a less restrictive alternative treatment is appropriate, he or she shall seek a summons, pursuant to the provisions of chapter 71.05 RCW, to require the offender to appear at an evaluation and treatment facility.  If a summons is issued, the offender shall remain within the corrections facility until completion of his or her term of confinement and be transported, by corrections personnel on the day of completion, directly to the identified evaluation and treatment facility.

    (8) The secretary shall adopt rules to implement this section.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 72.09 RCW to read as follows:

    The secretaries of the department of corrections and the department of social and health services shall adopt rules and develop working agreements which will ensure that offenders identified under section 2(1) of this act will be assisted in making application for medicaid to facilitate a decision regarding their eligibility for such entitlements prior to the end of their term of confinement in a correctional facility.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 71.05 RCW to read as follows:

    The legislature intends that, when evaluating a person who is identified under section 2(7) of this act, the professional person at the evaluation and treatment facility shall, when appropriate after consideration of the person's mental condition and relevant public safety concerns, file a petition for a ninety-day less restrictive alternative in lieu of a petition for a fourteen-day commitment.

 

    Sec. 5.  RCW 71.05.212 and 1998 c 297 s 19 are each amended to read as follows:

    Whenever a county designated mental health professional or professional person is conducting an evaluation under this chapter, consideration shall include all reasonably available information and records regarding:  (1) Prior recommendations for evaluation of the need for civil commitments when the recommendation is made pursuant to an evaluation conducted under chapter 10.77 RCW; (2) history of one or more violent acts; (3) prior determinations of incompetency or insanity under chapter 10.77 RCW; and (4) prior commitments under this chapter.

    In addition, when conducting an evaluation for offenders identified under section 2 of this act, the county designated mental health professional or professional person shall consider an offender's history of judicially required or administratively ordered antipsychotic medication while in confinement.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6.  A new section is added to chapter 71.05 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) When making a decision under this chapter whether to require a less restrictive alternative treatment, the court shall consider whether it is appropriate to include or exclude time spent in confinement when determining whether the person has committed a recent overt act.

    (2) When determining whether an offender is a danger to himself or herself or others under this chapter, a court shall give great weight to any evidence submitted to the court regarding an offender's recent history of judicially required or administratively ordered involuntary antipsychotic medication while in confinement.

 

    Sec. 7.  RCW 71.24.015 and 1991 c 306 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    It is the intent of the legislature to establish a community mental health program which shall help people experiencing mental illness to retain a respected and productive position in the community.  This will be accomplished through programs which provide for:

    (1) Access to mental health services for adults of the state who are acutely mentally ill, chronically mentally ill, or seriously disturbed and children of the state who are acutely mentally ill, severely emotionally disturbed, or seriously disturbed, which services recognize the special needs of underserved populations, including minorities, children, the elderly, disabled, and low-income persons.  Access to mental health services shall not be limited by a person's history of confinement in a state, federal, or local correctional facility.  It is also the purpose of this chapter to promote the early identification of mentally ill children and to ensure that they receive the mental health care and treatment which is appropriate to their developmental level.  This care should improve home, school, and community functioning, maintain children in a safe and nurturing home environment, and should enable treatment decisions to be made in response to clinical needs in accordance with sound professional judgment while also recognizing parents' rights to participate in treatment decisions for their children;

    (2) Accountability of services through state-wide standards for monitoring and reporting of information;

    (3) Minimum service delivery standards;

    (4) Priorities for the use of available resources for the care of the mentally ill;

    (5) Coordination of services within the department, including those divisions within the department that provide services to children, between the department and the office of the superintendent of public instruction, and among state mental hospitals, county authorities, community mental health services, and other support services, which shall to the maximum extent feasible also include the families of the mentally ill, and other service providers; and

    (6) Coordination of services aimed at reducing duplication in service delivery and promoting complementary services among all entities that provide mental health services to adults and children.

    It is the policy of the state to encourage the provision of a full range of treatment and rehabilitation services in the state for mental disorders.  The legislature intends to encourage the development of county-based and county-managed mental health services with adequate local flexibility to assure eligible people in need of care access to the least-restrictive treatment alternative appropriate to their needs, and the availability of treatment components to assure continuity of care.  To this end, counties are encouraged to enter into joint operating agreements with other counties to form regional systems of care which integrate planning, administration, and service delivery duties assigned to counties under chapters 71.05 and 71.24 RCW to consolidate administration, reduce administrative layering, and reduce administrative costs.

    It is further the intent of the legislature to integrate the provision of services to provide continuity of care through all phases of treatment.  To this end the legislature intends to promote active engagement with mentally ill persons and collaboration between families and service providers.

 

    Sec. 8.  RCW 71.24.300 and 1994 c 204 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

    A county authority or a group of county authorities whose combined population is no less than forty thousand may enter into a joint operating agreement to form a regional support network.  Upon the request of a tribal authority or authorities within a regional support network the joint operating agreement or the county authority shall allow for the inclusion of the tribal authority to be represented as a party to the regional support network.  The roles and responsibilities of the county and tribal authorities shall be determined by the terms of that agreement including a determination of membership on the governing board and advisory committees, the number of tribal representatives to be party to the agreement, and the provisions of law and shall assure the provision of culturally competent services to the tribes served.  The state mental health authority may not determine the roles and responsibilities of county authorities as to each other under regional support networks by rule, except to assure that all duties required of regional support networks are assigned and that a single authority has final responsibility for all available resources and performance under the regional support network's contract with the secretary.

    (1) Regional support networks shall within three months of recognition submit an overall six‑year operating and capital plan, timeline, and budget and submit progress reports and an updated two‑year plan biennially thereafter, to assume within available resources all of the following duties by July 1, 1995, instead of those presently assigned to counties under RCW 71.24.045(1):

    (a) Administer and provide for the availability of all resource management services, residential services, and community support services.

    (b) Administer and provide for the availability of all investigation, transportation, court‑related, and other services provided by the state or counties pursuant to chapter 71.05 RCW.

    (c) By July 1, 1993, provide within the boundaries of each regional support network evaluation and treatment services for at least eighty‑five percent of persons detained or committed for periods up to seventeen days according to chapter 71.05 RCW.   Regional support networks with populations of less than one hundred fifty thousand may contract to purchase evaluation and treatment services from other networks.  Insofar as the original intent of serving persons in the community is maintained, the secretary is authorized to approve exceptions on a case-by-case basis to the requirement to provide evaluation and treatment services within the boundaries of each regional support network.  Such exceptions are limited to contracts with neighboring or contiguous regions.  For regional support networks that are created after June 30, 1991, the requirements of (c) of this subsection must be met by July 1, 1995.

    (d) By July 1, 1993, administer a portion of funds appropriated by the legislature to house mentally ill persons in state institutions from counties within the boundaries of any regional support network, with the exception of ((mentally ill offenders)) persons currently confined at, or under the supervision of, a state mental hospital pursuant to chapter 10.77 RCW, and provide for the care of all persons needing evaluation and treatment services for periods up to seventeen days according to chapter 71.05 RCW in appropriate residential services, which may include state institutions.  The regional support networks shall reimburse the state for use of state institutions at a rate equal to that assumed by the legislature when appropriating funds for such care at state institutions during the biennium when reimbursement occurs.  The duty of a state hospital to accept persons for evaluation and treatment under chapter 71.05 RCW is limited by the responsibilities assigned to regional support networks under this section.  For regional support networks that are created after June 30, 1991, the requirements of (d) of this subsection must be met by July 1, 1995.

    (e) Administer and provide for the availability of all other mental health services, which shall include patient counseling, day treatment, consultation, education services, employment services as defined in RCW 71.24.035, and mental health services to children as provided in this chapter.

    (f) Establish standards and procedures for reviewing individual service plans and determining when that person may be discharged from resource management services.

    (2) Regional support networks shall assume all duties assigned to county authorities by this chapter and chapter 71.05 RCW.

    (3) A regional support network may request that any state‑owned land, building, facility, or other capital asset which was ever purchased, deeded, given, or placed in trust for the care of the mentally ill and which is within the boundaries of a regional support network be made available to support the operations of the regional support network.  State agencies managing such capital assets shall give first priority to requests for their use pursuant to this chapter.

    (4) Each regional support network shall appoint a mental health advisory board which shall review and provide comments on plans and policies developed under this chapter.  The composition of the board shall be broadly representative of the demographic character of the region and the mentally ill persons served therein. Length of terms of board members shall be determined by the regional support network.

    (5) Regional support networks shall assume all duties specified in their plans and joint operating agreements through biennial contractual agreements with the secretary.  Such contracts may include agreements to provide periods of stable community living and work or other day activities for specific chronically mentally ill persons who have completed commitments at state hospitals on ninety‑day or one hundred eighty‑day civil commitments or who have been residents at state hospitals for no less than one hundred eighty days within the previous year.  Periods of stable community living may involve acute care in local evaluation and treatment facilities but may not involve use of state hospitals.

    (6) Counties or groups of counties participating in a regional support network are not subject to RCW 71.24.045(((7))) (6).  The office of financial management shall consider information gathered in studies required in this chapter and information about the experience of other states to propose a mental health services administrative cost lid to the 1993 legislature which shall include administrative costs of licensed service providers, the state psychiatric hospitals and the department.

    (7) By November 1, 1991, and as part of each biennial plan thereafter, each regional support network shall establish and submit to the state, procedures and agreements to assure access to sufficient additional local evaluation and treatment facilities to meet the requirements of this chapter while reducing short‑term admissions to state hospitals.  These shall be commitments to construct and operate, or contract for the operation of, freestanding evaluation and treatment facilities or agreements with local evaluation and treatment facilities which shall include (a) required admission and treatment for short‑term inpatient care for any person enrolled in community support or residential services, (b) discharge planning procedures, (c) limitations on admissions or transfers to state hospitals, (d) adequate psychiatric supervision, (e) prospective payment methods, and (f) contractual assurances regarding referrals to local evaluation and treatment facilities from regional support networks.

    (8) Regional support networks may receive technical assistance from the housing trust fund and may identify and submit projects for housing and housing support services to the housing trust fund established under chapter 43.185 RCW.  Projects identified or submitted under this subsection must be fully integrated with the regional support network six‑year operating and capital plan, timeline, and budget required by subsection (1) of this section.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 9.  A new section is added to chapter 71.24 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The secretary shall contract, to the extent that funds are appropriated for this purpose, for case management services and such other services as the secretary deems necessary to assist offenders identified under section 2 of this act.  The contracts may be with regional support networks or any other qualified and appropriate entities.

    (2) The case manager has the authority to assist these offenders in obtaining the services, as set forth in the plan created under section 2(2) of this act, for up to five years.  The services may include coordination of mental health services, assistance with unfunded medical expenses, obtaining chemical dependency treatment, housing, employment services, educational or vocational training, independent living skills, parenting education, anger management services, and such other services as the case manager deems necessary.

    (3) The legislature intends that funds appropriated for the purposes of sections 2 and 4 of this act, RCW 71.05.212, and this section and distributed to the regional support networks are to supplement and not to supplant general funding.  Funds appropriated to implement sections 2 and 4 of this act, RCW 71.05.212, and this section are not to be considered available resources as defined in RCW 71.24.025 and are not subject to the statutory distribution formula established pursuant to RCW 71.24.035.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 10.  The Washington state institute for public policy, in conjunction with the University of Washington, shall conduct an evaluation of this act to determine:

    (1) Whether there is a reduction in criminal recidivism as a result of this act;

    (2) Whether this act has resulted in:  (a) Increased treatment of, and services to, dangerous mentally ill offenders, including services at the department of corrections, and through other publicly funded services; (b) a reduction in repeated inpatient mental health treatment by the same offender; and (c) reduced length of stays at state hospitals;

    (3) Whether this act improves delivery and effectiveness of the treatment and services, including mental health, drug/alcohol, case management, housing assistance, and other provided services;

    (4) Whether services under this act should be expanded to include other classifications of offenders, such as:  Juveniles; felons not sentenced to confinement; misdemeanants; and felons in county jails.  Cost estimates for expansion of each classification shall be included;

    (5) The validity of the risk assessment tool utilized by the department of corrections to assess dangerousness of offenders;

    (6) Increases in early medicaid enrollment and associated cost savings; and

    (7) Any savings in bed spaces in the department of corrections as a result of this act.

    The evaluation shall be submitted to the governor and legislature by December 1, 2004.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 11.  The secretary of the department of corrections and the secretary of the department of social and health services shall, in consultation with the regional support networks and provider representatives, each adopt rules as necessary to implement this act.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 12.  Sections 1, 2, and 4 through 9 of this act take effect March 15, 2000.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 13.  Section 1 of this act shall not be codified.


    Passed the Senate March 12, 1999.

    Passed the House April 25, 1999.

Approved by the Governor May 7, 1999.

    Filed in Office of Secretary of State May 7, 1999.