SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5159

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Bill

Requires Western State Hospital and Eastern State Hospital to contract with the cities in which they are located for providing public safety services at the cost of $0.09 per square foot.
Requires Western State Hospital to contract with the city of Lakewood for providing community policing services at a cost of no less than $621,291 for the 2017-19 biennium, to be increased by inflation in subsequent biennia.

Background: Washington State operates three state psychiatric hospitals: Western State Hospital, which is located in the city of Lakewood; Eastern State Hospital, which is located in the city of Medical Lake; and the Child Study and Treatment Center, which is located in the city of Lakewood.

A proviso in the 2015-17 operating budget provides $231,000 of the state General Fund for fiscal year 2016 and $231,000 of the state General Fund for fiscal year 2017, for a community partnership between Western State Hospital and the city of Lakewood to support community policing efforts in the Lakewood community surrounding Western State Hospital. These amounts are for the salaries, benefits, supplies, and equipment to sustain one full-time investigator, one full-time police officer, and one full-time community service officer at the city of Lakewood. A similar proviso has been incorporated in the operating budget each fiscal year starting in the 2007-09 biennium for fiscal year 2008.

A separate proviso in the 2015-17 operating budget provides $45,000 of the state General Fund for fiscal year 2016 and $45,000 of the state General Fund for fiscal year 2017, for payment to the city of Lakewood for police services provided by the city at Western State Hospital and adjacent areas. A similar proviso has been incorporated in the operating budget each fiscal year starting in 2002.

Summary of Bill: Western State Hospital must contract with the city of Lakewood for the provision of community policing services. The contract must be for no less than $621,291 for the 2017-19 biennium. Adjustments for inflation must be made in each subsequent biennium. Community policing services must include dedicated police personnel to provide response, reporting, and investigative services beyond basic patrol response, interacting with the public about incidents relating to the state hospital, investigating complaints of patient and staff-related incidents, and conducting training for hospital staff.

Western State Hospital and Eastern State Hospital must each contract with the city where they are located to compensate the city for providing public safety services. The cost must be equal to $0.09 per square foot.

Cities are prohibited from bonding the revenue allocated in these contracts.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony (Human Services, Mental Health & Housing): PRO: State hospitals have an impact on their surrounding communities, which is why it makes sense for the Legislature to provide support. This bill would make support a statutory requirement and recognize the need in the area of Eastern State Hospital. Making the funding permanent provides fiscal certainty to the city and police department. Western State Hospital is a unique institution in the services it requires. The community policing program is a highly effective program with a great working partnership with Western State Hospital. The dedicated resources make sure there is a safe environment within the hospital and in the surrounding community, without burdening the citizens of Lakewood. A dedicated investigator and direct points of contact for hospital staff let us jump on problems early and work on safety issues collaboratively. The hospital is in a single-family residential neighborhood close to schools and parks. The amount proposed would pay for the full cost of the community policing program, which is currently being subsidized by the City of Lakewood. Nine cents per square foot is on par with how DSHS funds fire districts and municipal fire departments. This partially replaces the property tax that the state hospitals do not pay. Eastern State Hospital has never been funded and provides its support through the Spokane Sheriff's Department. One third of the sheriff's calls are to Eastern State Hospital, Lakeland Village, and other state institutions in the area.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony (Ways & Means): PRO: This bill provides financial certainty, with the increase in funding to $621,000 it makes the city whole for its community policing program. For the basic public safety services, the model utilized in the bill is the same as the Department utilizes for its contracts with things such as EMS services for its institutions. The community oriented policing program really provides accessibility for staff and patients to problem resolution. The public safety services funding is really a replacement for what would be property tax funds and compensates the city for resources necessary when things happen, like what transpired last spring. When incidents like those happen, it is all hands on deck. The increase in funding realizes that there has been no change to the funding level since the program's inception in 2008. This does not increase the resources but the cost of those resources have increased over the almost ten year period.