H-3844.1

HOUSE BILL 2563

ByRepresentatives Orwall, Davis, Appleton, Lovick, Leavitt, Valdez, Chopp, J. Johnson, Pollet, and Lekanoff

AN ACT Relating to enhancing Washington's suicide alert and response system; adding a new section to chapter 43.70 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.300 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 43.70 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The department shall, by January 1, 2021, amend its rules on notifiable conditions to require health care providers, health care facilities, and schools to report suicide deaths, suicide attempts, and suspected suicides to their local health jurisdiction. The rules must require the report be made as soon as practicable, but no later than twenty-four hours after a provider, facility, or school becomes aware of a suicide death, suicide attempt, or suspected suicide.

(2) The department shall expand the suicide-related data collected by the Washington state violent death reporting system to focus on a more complete understanding of suicide risk factors. The expanded data must include, but not be limited to, clinical reviews and the victims' interactions with the health care system, schools, institutions of higher education, and the workplace.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Beginning January 1, 2021, a public or private school shall report to the superintendent suicide deaths, suicide attempts, and suspected suicides occurring on school grounds. The school must make the report as soon as practicable, but no later than twenty-four hours after the school becomes aware of the suicide death, suicide attempt, or suspected suicide.

(2) The superintendent shall adopt any rules necessary to implement this section. When adopting rules under this subsection, the superintendent may collaborate with the department of health to allow schools to make the reports in the same manner that schools report notifiable conditions to their local health jurisdictions.

(a) The office of the superintendent of public instruction;

(b) The health care authority;

(c) Institutions of higher education;

(d) Experts in suicide prevention at the University of Washington;

(e) Local health jurisdictions;

(f) Local crisis lines;

(g) First responders;

(h) Medical examiners;

(i) Coroners; and

(j) Any other stakeholders deemed appropriate by the department.

(2) The work group shall study and make recommendations on enhancing Washington's suicide alert and response system. The recommendations must include ways to integrate and utilize the data collected under sections 1 and 2 of this act.

(3) The work group shall report its recommendations to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2020.

(4) This section expires January 1, 2021.

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