S-4483.2
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6134
State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session
By Senate Health & Long Term Care (originally sponsored by Senators
Gildon and L. Wilson)
READ FIRST TIME 01/31/24.
1 AN ACT Relating to preventing overdose and illicit use of opioids
2 in Washington state; adding new sections to chapter 43.70 RCW; and
3 making an appropriation.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
5 NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 43.70
6 RCW to read as follows:
7 The department shall work with local health jurisdictions,
8 emergency medical service providers, emergency departments, state and
9 local law enforcement agencies, sheriffs' offices, medical examiners,
10 and coroners to create a system or utilize an existing system or
11 systems for mapping reported incidents of fatal and nonfatal drug
12 overdoses and synthetic opiate poisonings in Washington state.
13 Emergency departments, state and local law enforcement agencies,
14 sheriffs' offices, and coroners are encouraged to report data not
15 more than 24 hours after the incident or after receiving the incident
16 toxicology report. The department shall examine the extent to which
17 existing data reporting systems may be used to supply necessary
18 information, including but not limited to data collected under RCW
19 43.70.057, and shall to the extent possible and appropriate structure
20 its recommendations to avoid causing unnecessary increases in data
21 reporting requirements or duplication of work.
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 1 NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.70
2 RCW to read as follows:
3 (1) The department shall convene stakeholders for the purpose of
4 developing recommendations for the establishment of a Washington
5 state opioid overdose trends review committee responsible for:
6 (a) Identifying and reviewing fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses
7 in the state of Washington;
8 (b) Identifying the causes and contributing factors of overdoses
9 and overdose-related deaths, and conducting a review of other factors
10 including, but not limited to, housing status, behavioral health
11 status, or criminal justice system involvement;
12 (c) Developing recommendations to address preventable overdose-
13 related deaths, including legislation, policies, areas for scientific
14 research, rules, training, and best practices that reduce harm and
15 support the health and safety of individuals who use substances, and
16 prevent overdose-related deaths;
17 (d) Providing annual updates on drug trends, including synthetic
18 drugs that may impact the health and well-being of Washingtonians and
19 that present a high risk for causing overdose-related deaths, and
20 making policy-related and funding-related recommendations to the
21 governor and the legislature based on these trends;
22 (e) Establishing a process for data sharing between state
23 departments, counties, local health jurisdictions, tribal partners,
24 community overdose prevention groups, and other relevant entities in
25 order to access necessary data concerning fatal and nonfatal drug-
26 related overdoses in Washington; and
27 (f) Ensuring coordination and integration with the state's opioid
28 overdose response learning community, led by the health care
29 authority.
30 (2) In convening the interested stakeholders pursuant to
31 subsection (1) of this section, the department shall invite a variety
32 of interested stakeholders, including public health experts,
33 physicians, law enforcement, coroners, and persons who have
34 experienced an overdose.
35 (3) By November 1, 2025, the department shall submit a report
36 making recommendations for how a Washington state opioid overdose
37 trends review committee would be established to meet the
38 responsibilities outlined in subsection (1) of this section to the
39 governor and appropriate committees of the legislature. Such report
40 shall take into consideration:
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 1 (a) The determination of what interested stakeholders should be
2 included in any review committee;
3 (b) How often the committee should meet on an annual basis;
4 (c) Whether the review committee should be encompassed into the
5 structure of the current state opioid response plan as codified in
6 RCW 43.70.770; and
7 (d) Any and all costs associated with implementing subsection
8 (1)(a) through (e) of this section.
9 (4) The department shall establish the Washington state opioid
10 overdose trends review committee by September 1, 2026.
11 NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The sum of $7,000,000, or as much thereof
12 as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June
13 30, 2025, from the general fund to the criminal justice training
14 commission for the purpose of the Washington association of sheriffs
15 and police chiefs to administer a grant program for
16 multijurisdictional drug task forces. The Washington association of
17 sheriffs and police chiefs shall require grant recipients to adhere
18 to the same peer review and reporting requirements that existed for
19 recipients of the Edward Byrne memorial justice assistance grant
20 funds as those requirements existed on January 1, 2023. The
21 Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs may retain up to
22 five percent of the amounts provided in this section for
23 administration of the program.
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