Healthcare (Mental Health)

in committee · Washington · House Feb 4, 2026

HB 2599: Protecting the integrity of therapy and psychotherapy services.

This bill prohibits licensed mental health professionals in Washington from using artificial intelligence to independently make therapeutic decisions, directly interact with clients, generate treatment plans, or detect client emotions. It allows AI use only for administrative tasks like scheduling or billing, and for supplementary support like note-taking only with explicit written consent from the client. The legislation defines specific categories of permitted versus prohibited AI use to maintain human oversight in therapy and psychotherapy services. Violations of these rules could result in professional discipline for licensed practitioners. The bill aims to protect consumers from unregulated AI tools while preserving appropriate AI assistance under professional supervision.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill restricts AI use in mental health services, limiting tools that could enhance therapy and patient care.90% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill restricts AI use in mental health therapy, limiting technology applications in professional services to administrative tasks only.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health Artificial Intelligence

Track

in committee · Washington · House Feb 19, 2026

HB 2720: Increasing access and resources for behavioral health emergency services providers by imposing a covered lives assessment on specific health plans.

HB 2720 imposes a $0.58 monthly fee per enrolled member on health carriers, self-funded employer plans, and multiemployer health plans operating in Washington starting January 2027. This fee funds behavioral health crisis services (like mobile response teams and crisis centers) for people not covered by Medicaid or who aren’t enrolled in Medicaid, addressing gaps where current insurance reimbursement systems fail. The bill creates a dedicated funding source to replace inconsistent billing to insurers, ensuring these critical services remain accessible without relying on Medicaid or taxpayer subsidies. It directly affects health plans covering Washington residents and aims to sustain crisis care access as mandated by existing mental health parity laws.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesImposes $0.58 monthly fee on health plans to fund behavioral health crisis services, creating dedicated tax revenue for public services.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareImposes fee to fund behavioral health crisis services for uninsured, addressing access gaps and increasing mental health funding.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid Mental Health

Track

in committee · Washington · Senate Feb 26, 2026

SB 6356: Using preceptorships to train primary care physicians.

SB 6356 requires Washington's health care board to track and report on primary care spending, aiming to increase it to 12% of total health care expenditures. It mandates annual reports detailing primary care spending by payer, provider type, and service area (like physical vs. behavioral health), while analyzing barriers to data collection and defining "primary care" consistently. The bill also directs the board to study costs of preceptorships (supervised clinical training for doctors) by 2027, specifically to address provider shortages in rural and underserved areas. These reports and studies will guide strategies to expand primary care access without increasing administrative burdens or overall health care costs. The law directly affects health care providers, insurers, and the state's health care board through new reporting obligations.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates increasing primary care spending to 12% of healthcare expenditures and requires tracking/reporting to improve funding allocation and access, directly advancing healthcare funding goals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medical Licensing Mental Health Primary Care

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 2359: Modifying requirements and allowed uses for certain funding related to providing and maintaining affordable housing and related services.

HB 2359 modifies Washington state law to change how a 0.1% sales tax revenue can be used for affordable housing and related services. It requires at least 60% of the funds to be spent on building or maintaining housing for low-income residents (at or below 60% of county median income), including veterans, the homeless, and people with disabilities, or on behavioral health facilities. The bill also mandates that 15% of new housing units must be reserved for people living near the facility, and allows local governments to use bonds and interlocal agreements to finance these projects. This law affects counties and cities that impose the tax, directing funds toward specific housing and services while ensuring community-focused allocation.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRedirects 0.1% sales tax revenue to fund affordable housing for low-income groups, mandating 60% allocation for housing/services and 15% reserved locally, strengthening fiscal support for housing programs.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill requires 60% of funds for behavioral health facilities, explicitly supporting mental health services as part of healthcare policy.90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingRequires 60% of funds for low-income housing (≤60% AMI) including homeless/veterans/disabled, mandates 15% units for nearby residents, directly advancing affordable housing access.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill requires 60% of funds for housing including veterans as eligible beneficiaries among low-income groups, explicitly targeting veteran housing needs.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Revenue Sales Tax Mental Health Affordable Housing Homelessness Housing Finance

Track

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 6059: Creating the Washington state board of governors for licensed social workers.

SB 6059 creates a new Washington State Board of Governors for Licensed Social Workers, directly affecting licensed social workers and the public they serve. The bill establishes a seven-member board appointed by the governor - four licensed independent clinical social workers, two advanced social workers, and one public member - to oversee professional regulation, set standards, and handle disciplinary matters. Key provisions include requiring members to have active practice experience, ensuring public accountability through specific membership restrictions, and mandating a three-year transition period for implementation. The board will develop rules, manage licensing, and strengthen oversight of social work practice, separate from other behavioral health professions.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates regulatory board for licensed social workers, enhancing professional standards and oversight in mental health services, aligning with healthcare support indicators.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health

Track

signed · Washington · House Mar 25, 2026

HB 2405: Establishing a pilot program for posttraumatic stress disorder treatment and research.

HB 2405 establishes a pilot program to fund workplace behavioral health initiatives focused on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment and research for workers in high-risk occupations. It directs the Department of Labor & Industries to use funds from the workers' compensation medical aid fund to support projects addressing PTSD prevention, trauma-informed reintegration, and mental health programs in workplaces with repetitive trauma exposure. The program specifically allocates resources for innovative return-to-work initiatives targeting PTSD, requiring projects to address occupational PTSD risks identified through department collaboration. This pilot is part of broader workers' compensation funding priorities and does not change existing medical coverage standards for injured workers.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllocates workers' compensation funds to PTSD treatment/research pilot, expanding mental health services within healthcare95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill funds PTSD treatment/research for high-risk workers via workers' comp fund, directly improving workplace safety and mental health benefits for employees.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health

in committee · Washington · House Jan 14, 2026

HB 2466: Creating the Washington state board of governors for licensed social workers.

HB 2466 creates a new Washington state Board of Governors specifically for licensed social workers, replacing their previous oversight under a broader health board. The board will consist of seven members (four licensed independent clinical social workers, two licensed advanced social workers, and one public member) appointed by the governor to provide specialized regulatory oversight focused on social work practice standards. This change aims to enhance public protection by addressing the unique educational, ethical, and practice needs of social workers, separate from other mental health professions. The bill establishes the board’s structure, membership requirements, meeting rules, and authority to adopt regulations governing licensed social workers across all practice levels in Washington.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill creates specialized regulatory oversight for social workers (critical to mental health services), enhancing public protection and practice standards per summary. Directly strengthens mental health care framework.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health

Track

in committee · Washington · House Feb 27, 2026

HB 2295: Concerning the capital budget.

HB 2295 allocates $66.7 million from the state building construction account to fund competitive grants for community hospitals and providers expanding behavioral health services. The bill directly affects facilities seeking to build or preserve mental health and substance use treatment capacity, requiring projects to address geographic gaps in underserved areas. Key provisions mandate grants cover construction/equipment costs only (not operating expenses), require 10-year facility commitments, and prioritize youth/adult bed capacity, crisis centers, and specialized care for populations like those with traumatic brain injury. Funding must be distributed based on regional needs, with priority given to projects in areas lacking current services.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $66.7M from state budget for behavioral health facility grants, directly funding public services and expanding treatment capacity in underserved areas.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllocates $66.7M for behavioral health grants targeting mental/substance use treatment expansion in underserved areas, directly funding facility construction/equipment per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Mental Health

Track

in committee · Washington · Senate Feb 4, 2026

SB 6224: Supporting children and youth behavioral health.

SB 6224 establishes a diverse work group to improve access to behavioral health services for children, youth, and young adults in Washington State. The group, requiring representation from state agencies, healthcare providers, schools, parents, youth (including two under age six), tribal governments, and underserved communities, will monitor existing programs and remove barriers between education, healthcare, and early learning systems. Key responsibilities include advancing insurance parity for mental health coverage, strengthening support for early childhood development (prenatal to age five), and advising on school-based mental health and suicide prevention. The work group will guide state efforts using the Washington Thriving Strategic Plan to ensure equitable, high-quality care across all communities.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes school-represented work group to improve behavioral health services within education systems, removing barriers between schools and healthcare to enhance student access and support.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes work group to improve access to children's behavioral health services, remove barriers between healthcare systems, and advance insurance parity.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Early Childhood Mental Health

Track

signed · Washington · House Mar 9, 2026

HB 2492: Requiring state registered apprenticeships in the building and construction trades to provide behavioral health and wellness training.

HB 2492 requires state-registered plumbing apprenticeships in Washington to include four hours of approved behavioral health and wellness training as part of their continuing education requirements. This applies directly to apprentices in the plumbing construction trade who need to maintain their certification. The training must cover topics like destigmatizing mental health, recognizing distress, suicide prevention, substance use awareness, and connecting to resources. It modifies existing certification rules (RCW 18.106.070) to allow these hours to count toward the required 24 hours of annual continuing education. The bill does not create new licensing standards but integrates mental health support into existing apprenticeship training.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates 4 hours of behavioral health training covering mental health destigmatization, suicide prevention, and resource access for apprentices, directly advancing mental health services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health