Behavioral health resources

AN ACT Relating to establishing an interactive screening program 1
to improve access to behavioral health resources for health care 2
providers; and adding new sections to chapter 43.70 RCW.3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 43.70 5
RCW to read as follows: 6
(1) The department shall contract with a nonprofit entity to 7
establish an interactive program to improve access to behavioral 8
health resources for health care providers. The program must:9
(a) Be evidence-based; 10
(b) Be available to any individual holding a professional 11
credential subject to chapter 18.130 RCW; 12
(c) Utilize a screening questionnaire, the results of which are 13
to be reviewed by a counselor to triage the user's level of distress;14
(d) Allow the user to remain anonymous; 15
(e) Provide services which are completely confidential;16
(f) Allow the user to interact with the counselor via email or 17
receive a referral for treatment; and 18
(g) Include facilitation of paid medical leave requests for 19
mental health conditions related to or exacerbated by clinician 20
distress and burnout. 21
S-0525.1
SENATE BILL 5242
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Orwall, Harris, Hasegawa, Krishnadasan, Nobles, Shewmake,
Valdez, and C. Wilson
Read first time 01/14/25. Referred to Committee on Health & Long-
Term Care.
p. 1 SB 5242
(2) The costs of the program must be financed by an annual 1
surcharge added to the licensing fee for every licensed health 2
professional subject to chapter 18.130 RCW. The amount of the 3
surcharge must be uniform across professions and set by the secretary 4
in rule. The surcharges must be placed in the interactive screening 5
program account created in section 2 of this act to be used solely to 6
support the program established in this section. 7
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.70 8
RCW to read as follows: 9
The interactive screening program account is created in the 10
custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from surcharges 11
collected under section 1 of this act must be deposited into the 12
account. Expenditures from the account may be used only for support 13
of the program established in section 1 of this act. Only the 14
secretary or the secretary's designee may authorize expenditures from 15
the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under 16
chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for 17
expenditures. 18
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p. 2 SB 5242