The proposed bill establishes a new legal framework allowing judicial officers in Washington State to authorize the direct transfer of defendants from jail to inpatient or residential substance use disorder treatment facilities. Under the new section added to chapter 10.21 RCW, a judicial officer can modify a defendant's release conditions to allow for a personal recognizance release with nonmonetary conditions if the defendant has an admission offer from a treatment facility and a trusted individual available to escort them. The bill outlines the process for notifying the recovery navigator program, the conditions under which a defendant can request pretrial release for treatment, and the responsibilities of both the jail and treatment facility regarding the defendant's release and admission.

Additionally, the bill mandates that treatment facilities notify the court upon a defendant's admission and discharge, with specific forms provided by the court. It encourages prosecutors to consider diversion or dismissal of charges if a defendant successfully transitions to the next level of care after treatment. The bill also clarifies that a judicial officer can initiate this process based on indications that the defendant would benefit from treatment, regardless of the charges they face. Furthermore, it specifies that any stay entered under this section will not count against the time for trial, effectively creating a new timeline for trial proceedings. The administrative office of the courts is tasked with creating or updating necessary court forms to implement these changes.