Beginning on page 2, line 3, strike all of section 2 and insert the following:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  "(1) A children's mental health work group is established to identify barriers to and opportunities for accessing mental health services for children and families and to advise the legislature on statewide mental health services for this population.

(2) The work group shall consist of members and alternates as provided in this subsection. Members must represent the regional, racial, and cultural diversity of all children and families in the state. Members of the children's mental health work group created in chapter 96, Laws of 2016, and serving on the work group as of December 1, 2017, may continue to serve as members of the work group without reappointment.

(a) The president of the senate shall appoint one member and one alternate from each of the two largest caucuses in the senate.

(b) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint one member and one alternate from each of the two largest caucuses in the house of representatives.

(c) The governor shall appoint six members representing the following state agencies and offices: The department of children, youth, and families; the department of social and health services; the health care authority; the department of health; the office of homeless youth prevention and protection programs; and the office of the governor.

(d) The governor shall appoint one member representing each of the following:

(i) Behavioral health organizations;

(ii) Community mental health agencies;

(iii) Medicaid managed care organizations;

(iv) A regional provider of co-occurring disorder services;

(v) Pediatricians or primary care providers;

(vi) Providers specializing in infant or early childhood mental health;

(vii) Child health advocacy groups;

(viii) Early learning and child care providers;

(ix) The evidence-based practice institute;

(x) Parents or caregivers who have been the recipient of early childhood mental health services;

(xi) An education or teaching institution that provides training for mental health professionals;

(xii) Foster parents;

(xiii) Providers of culturally and linguistically appropriate health services to traditionally underserved communities;

(xiv) Pediatricians located east of the crest of the Cascade mountains; and

(xv) Child psychiatrists.

(e) The governor shall request participation by a representative of tribal governments.

(f) The superintendent of public instruction shall appoint one representative from the office of the superintendent of public instruction.

(g) The insurance commissioner shall appoint one representative from the office of the insurance commissioner.

(h) The work group shall choose three cochairs, two from among its legislative membership and one representative of a state agency. The two legislative cochairs must represent the minority and the majority caucuses in the house of representatives. The representative from the health care authority shall convene at least two, but not more than four, meetings of the work group each year.

(3) The work group shall:

(a) Monitor the implementation of enacted legislation, programs, and policies related to children's mental health, including provider payment for depression screenings for youth and new mothers, consultation services for child care providers caring for children with symptoms of trauma, home visiting services, and streamlining agency rules for providers of behavioral health services;

(b) Consider system strategies to improve coordination and remove barriers between the early learning, K-12 education, and health care systems; and

(c) Identify opportunities to remove barriers to treatment and strengthen mental health service delivery for children and youth.

(4) Staff support for the work group, including administration of work group meetings and preparation of the updated report required under subsection (6) of this section, must be provided by the health care authority. Additional staff support for legislative members of the work group may be provided by senate committee services and the house of representatives office of program research.

(5) Legislative members of the work group are reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120. Nonlegislative members are not entitled to be reimbursed for travel expenses if they are elected officials or are participating on behalf of an employer, governmental entity, or other organization. Any reimbursement for other nonlegislative members is subject to chapter 43.03 RCW.

(6) The work group shall update the findings and recommendations reported to the legislature by the children's mental health work group in December 2016 pursuant to chapter 96, Laws of 2016. The work group must submit the updated report to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2020.

(7) This section expires December 30, 2020."

EFFECT: Requires the Health Care Authority to provide staff support for the children's mental health work group and to convene at least two, but not more than four, meetings per year. Specifies that additional support to legislative members of the work group may be provided by Senate Committee Services and the House Office of Program Research. Removes a subsection providing for payment of work group expenses by the Senate and the House of Representatives.