988 line tax

AN ACT Relating to increasing the statewide 988 behavioral health 1
crisis response and suicide prevention line tax; amending RCW 2
82.86.020 and 82.86.050; and creating a new section.3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the state has 5
made significant progress in establishing and implementing the 988 6
suicide and crisis lifeline, creating greater access to crisis 7
services for individuals and their families in need. The legislature 8
further finds that an improved crisis response system reduces 9
reliance on emergency room services and the use of law enforcement 10
response to behavioral health crises and helps to stabilize 11
individuals in the community whenever possible. To accomplish 12
effective crisis response and suicide prevention, Washington state 13
must continue its integrated approach to address mental health and 14
substance use disorder and continue its progress toward implementing 15
the 988 suicide and crisis lifelines and crisis systems in the 16
country. The legislature finds it is critical to provide funding to 17
enable greater access to crisis care services and supports.18
Sec. 2. RCW 82.86.020 and 2021 c 302 s 202 are each amended to 19
read as follows: 20
S-1570.1
SENATE BILL 5762
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Orwall, Dhingra, Nobles, and C. Wilson
Read first time 02/18/25. Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.
p. 1 SB 5762
(1)(a) A statewide 988 behavioral health crisis response and 1
suicide prevention line tax is imposed on the use of all radio access 2
lines: 3
(i) By subscribers whose place of primary use is located within 4
the state in the amount set forth in (a)(ii) of this subsection (1) 5
per month for each radio access line. The tax must be uniform for 6
each radio access line under this subsection (1); and7
(ii) By consumers whose retail transaction occurs within the 8
state in the amount set forth in this subsection (1)(a)(ii) per 9
retail transaction. The amount of tax must be uniform for each retail 10
transaction under this subsection (1) and is as follows:11
(A) Beginning October 1, 2021, through December 31, 2022, the tax 12
rate is 24 cents for each radio access line; ((and))13
(B) Beginning January 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026, the tax 14
rate is 40 cents for each radio access line;15
(C) Beginning July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the tax rate 16
is 60 cents for each radio access line; and17
(D) Beginning July 1, 2027, the tax rate is 80 cents for each 18
radio access line. 19
(b) The tax imposed under this subsection (1) must be remitted to 20
the department by radio communications service companies, including 21
those companies that resell radio access lines, and sellers of 22
prepaid wireless telecommunications service, on a tax return provided 23
by the department. Tax proceeds must be deposited by the treasurer 24
into the statewide 988 behavioral health crisis response and suicide 25
prevention line account created in RCW 82.86.050. 26
(c) For the purposes of this subsection (1), the retail 27
transaction is deemed to occur at the location where the transaction 28
is sourced under RCW 82.32.520(3)(c). 29
(2) A statewide 988 behavioral health crisis response and suicide 30
prevention line tax is imposed on all interconnected voice over 31
internet protocol service lines in the state. The amount of tax must 32
be uniform for each line and must be levied on no more than the 33
number of voice over internet protocol service lines on an account 34
that is capable of simultaneous unrestricted outward calling to the 35
public switched telephone network. The tax imposed under this 36
subsection (2) must be remitted to the department by interconnected 37
voice over internet protocol service companies on a tax return 38
provided by the department. The amount of tax for each interconnected 39
p. 2 SB 5762
voice over internet protocol service line whose place of primary use 1
is located in the state is as follows: 2
(a) Beginning October 1, 2021, through December 31, 2022, the tax 3
rate is 24 cents for an interconnected voice over internet protocol 4
service line; ((and))5
(b) Beginning January 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026, the tax 6
rate is 40 cents for an interconnected voice over internet protocol 7
service line;8
(c) Beginning July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the tax rate 9
is 60 cents for an interconnected voice over internet protocol 10
service line; and11
(d) Beginning July 1, 2027, the tax rate is 80 cents for an 12
interconnected voice over internet protocol service line.13
(3) A statewide 988 behavioral health crisis response and suicide 14
prevention line tax is imposed on all switched access lines in the 15
state. The amount of tax must be uniform for each line and must be 16
levied on no more than the number of switched access lines on an 17
account that is capable of simultaneous unrestricted outward calling 18
to the public switched telephone network. The tax imposed under this 19
subsection (3) must be remitted to the department by local exchange 20
companies on a tax return provided by the department. The amount of 21
tax for each switched access line whose place of primary use is 22
located in the state is as follows: 23
(a) Beginning October 1, 2021, through December 31, 2022, the tax 24
rate is 24 cents for each switched access line; ((and))25
(b) Beginning January 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026, the tax 26
rate is 40 cents for each switched access line;27
(c) Beginning July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the tax rate 28
is 60 cents for each switched access line; and29
(d) Beginning July 1, 2027, the tax rate is 80 cents for each 30
switched access line. 31
(4) Tax proceeds collected pursuant to this section must be 32
deposited by the treasurer into the statewide 988 behavioral health 33
crisis response and suicide prevention line account created in RCW 34
82.86.050. 35
Sec. 3. RCW 82.86.050 and 2023 c 454 s 10 are each amended to 36
read as follows: 37
(1) The statewide 988 behavioral health crisis response and 38
suicide prevention line account is created in the state treasury. All 39
p. 3 SB 5762
receipts from the statewide 988 behavioral health crisis response and 1
suicide prevention line tax imposed pursuant to this chapter must be 2
deposited into the account. Moneys may only be spent after 3
appropriation. 4
(2) Expenditures from the account may only be used for:5
(a) Ensuring the efficient and effective routing of calls made to 6
the 988 crisis hotline to an appropriate crisis hotline center or 7
designated 988 contact hub . Expenditures from the account must be 8
prioritized to fully fund the operation of 988 crisis hotline centers 9
and designated 988 contact hubs to achieve an in-state call response 10
rate specified in RCW 71.24.890; and 11
(b) Personnel and the provision of acute behavioral health, 12
crisis outreach, and crisis stabilization services, as defined in RCW 13
71.24.025, by directly responding to the 988 crisis hotline and 14
enhancing mobile crisis service standards and performance provided 15
through mobile rapid response crisis teams and community-based crisis 16
teams endorsed under RCW 71.24.903. Ten percent of the annual 17
receipts from the tax must be dedicated to the establishment grants, 18
performance payments, and supplemental performance payments for 19
mobile rapid response crisis teams and community-based crisis teams 20
endorsed under RCW 71.24.903 and endorsement activities in RCW 21
71.24.903, up to 30 percent of which is dedicated to mobile rapid 22
response crisis teams and community-based crisis teams endorsed under 23
RCW 71.24.903 that are affiliated with a tribe in Washington.24
(3) Moneys in the account may not be used to supplant general 25
fund appropriations for behavioral health services or for medicaid 26
covered services to individuals enrolled in the medicaid program.27
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