CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
ENGROSSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1181
Chapter 191, Laws of 2022
67th Legislature
2022 Regular Session
SUICIDE PREVENTION—VETERANS AND MILITARY MEMBERS
EFFECTIVE DATE: June 9, 2022—Except for section 8, which takes
effect October 1, 2022; and section 11, which takes effect July 1,
2024.
Passed by the House March 7, 2022 CERTIFICATE
Yeas 98 Nays 0
I, Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk of the
House of Representatives of the
LAURIE JINKINS State of Washington, do hereby
Speaker of the House of certify that the attached is
Representatives ENGROSSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE
BILL 1181 as passed by the House of
Representatives and the Senate on
the dates hereon set forth.
Passed by the Senate March 3, 2022
Yeas 48 Nays 0
BERNARD DEAN
DENNY HECK Chief Clerk
President of the Senate
Approved March 30, 2022 2:09 PM FILED
March 31, 2022
Secretary of State
JAY INSLEE State of Washington
Governor of the State of Washington
 ENGROSSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1181
AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE
Passed Legislature - 2022 Regular Session
State of Washington 67th Legislature 2022 Regular Session
By House Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives
Orwall, Boehnke, Callan, Leavitt, Davis, Dolan, Valdez, Young,
Riccelli, Lekanoff, Barkis, Peterson, Shewmake, Bronoske, Macri, and
Morgan)
READ FIRST TIME 02/07/22.
1 AN ACT Relating to establishing programs and measures to prevent
2 suicide among veterans and military members; adding new sections to
3 chapter 43.60A RCW; adding a new section to chapter 18.130 RCW;
4 adding a new section to chapter 43.70 RCW; adding a new section to
5 chapter 46.18 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 74.04 RCW; adding
6 a new section to chapter 9.41 RCW; adding a new section to chapter
7 39.04 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.34 RCW; creating new
8 sections; providing effective dates; and providing an expiration
9 date.
10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
11 NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) Suicide is a public health issue that
12 affects many Washington families and communities daily. Over the last
13 10 years, Washington state has been at the forefront of suicide
14 prevention, investing more in upstream suicide prevention strategies
15 and supports with the goal of a noteworthy reduction in suicide by
16 2025.
17 (2) At the request of the governor, in 2020 Washington
18 stakeholders engaged in a national and statewide initiative to end
19 veteran and military member suicide. This initiative culminated in a
20 new state plan to educate providers and help them address the unique
21 needs of veterans and military members, particularly those in
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 1 transition to civilian life; and to provide resources and supports
2 including improved lethal means safety training. The purpose of this
3 act is to support the implementation of that plan.
4 (3) Service members, veterans, and their families are at a higher
5 risk of being affected by suicide as experiences prior to enlistment,
6 during service, and transition from service can contribute to
7 suicidal thoughts and behaviors. A report on post-9/11 era military
8 deaths by the United States department of veterans affairs found that
9 service members are four times more likely to die by suicide than in
10 military operations. Over 7,000 service members died in combat during
11 the global war on terror, while more than 30,000 active duty members
12 and veterans died by suicide. For veterans of all United States
13 military operations, there is an average of 22 suicide deaths per day
14 across the country, with one occurring every 65 minutes.
15 (4) Washington is home to 544,290 veterans, 60,699 active duty
16 service members, 17,941 guard and reserve service members, and
17 2,000,000 military and veteran family members. Although veterans
18 themselves make up only seven percent of the Washington population,
19 they account for 19 percent of total suicides in the state. Nearly
20 1,000 veterans have died by suicide in Washington state over the last
21 five years. More than two-thirds of veterans who died by suicide in
22 Washington used a firearm.
23 (5) Family members of veterans who die by suicide are at higher
24 risk for future suicide due to the exposure of experiencing suicide
25 loss. Research shows for every suicide that occurs, 135 people suffer
26 from the effects either directly or indirectly, meaning veteran
27 suicides impact a community of 2,600,000 people.
28 (6) There is no one path to suicide, but life experiences, moral
29 injury, trauma, culture, and health can play a major role in suicidal
30 behavior. Military and veteran culture in particular includes stigma
31 around mental wellness and help-seeking behavior, emphasizes
32 reliability on group cohesion, and facilitates access,
33 comfortability, and familiarity with lethal means such as firearms.
34 Additionally, a significant number of veterans do not seek care
35 within the veterans administration system.
36 (7) The legislature intends to address the tragedy of suicide
37 amongst veterans, military members, and their families through
38 support of professionals and community and peer organizations serving
39 veterans, cultural changes that support help-seeking behaviors, and
40 investments in education, training, prevention, and care.
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 1 NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.60A
2 RCW to read as follows:
3 (1) There is created in the department a suicide prevention
4 community-based services grant program. The purpose of the grant
5 program is to provide suicide prevention, peer support, and other
6 assistance to at-risk and transitioning veterans and military members
7 and their families in their communities.
8 (2) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for the
9 specific purposes provided in this section and amounts disbursed from
10 the veterans and military members suicide prevention account created
11 in section 3 of this act, the department, in consultation with the
12 forefront suicide prevention center, must establish a process to
13 receive, review, process, and award grants to organizations,
14 including nonprofit and peer support community programs, that address
15 veterans, military members, and their families who may be at risk of
16 suicide and other mental health crises. Priority should be given to
17 organizations using peer support models that use evidence-based,
18 research-based, or promising practices.
19 (3) The department shall report to the legislature annually
20 beginning July 1, 2023, on grant recipients, number of veterans and
21 military members served, and the types of services offered by grant
22 recipients.
23 (4) The forefront suicide prevention center shall evaluate the
24 effectiveness of each grant program recipient providing suicide
25 prevention and peer support services to veterans, military members,
26 and their families who may be at risk of suicide and other mental
27 health crises.
28 (5) For the purposes of this section, "forefront suicide
29 prevention center" means the University of Washington's forefront
30 suicide prevention center of excellence.
31 NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 43.60A
32 RCW to read as follows:
33 (1) The veterans and military members suicide prevention account
34 is created in the custody of the state treasurer. The account shall
35 consist of funds appropriated by the legislature, revenues received
36 from the prevent veteran suicide emblem under section 8 of this act,
37 and all receipts from gifts, grants, bequests, devises, or other
38 donations from public and private sources to support veterans and
39 military members suicide prevention measures. Expenditures from the
p. 3 E2SHB 1181.SL
 1 account may be used only for the purposes provided in subsection (3)
2 of this section. Only the director or the director's designee may
3 authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to
4 allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is
5 not required for expenditures.
6 (2)(a) The department may request and accept nondedicated
7 contributions, grants, or gifts in cash or otherwise, and voluntary
8 donations for deposit into the account, including funds generated by
9 voluntary donations under (b) of this subsection.
10 (b) The department may accept, for deposit into the account,
11 voluntary donations from persons who are: (i) Applying for a
12 concealed pistol license or renewal of a concealed pistol license; or
13 (ii) undergoing a background check under chapter 9.41 RCW in
14 connection with the purchase of a firearm from a firearms dealer. The
15 department shall coordinate with local law enforcement agencies, the
16 department of licensing, and firearms dealers licensed under chapter
17 9.41 RCW to develop a form and process for publicizing and collecting
18 voluntary donations under this subsection. The department and the
19 department of licensing shall post educational information regarding
20 the voluntary donation provisions of this section on their websites.
21 (3) All moneys deposited into the account must be used for
22 activities that are dedicated to the benefit of veteran and military
23 member suicide education and prevention including, but not limited
24 to: (a) Expanding the department's peer corps program; and (b)
25 providing programs, peer support, and services that assist veterans
26 and military members in addressing mental health and wellness impacts
27 of military service, trauma, moral injury, and transition to civilian
28 life. Funds may also be used for the suicide prevention community-
29 based services grant program established in section 2 of this act.
30 Funds from the account may not be used to supplant existing funds
31 received by the department nor shall grant recipients use the funds
32 to supplant existing funding.
33 (4) For the purposes of this section the following definitions
34 apply:
35 (a) "Veteran" has the same meaning as provided in RCW 41.04.005
36 and 41.04.007.
37 (b) "Military members" means actively serving members of the
38 national guard or reserves, or active duty military personnel.
39 (c) "Account" means the veterans and military members suicide
40 prevention account.
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1 NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 43.60A
2 RCW to read as follows:
3 Beginning December 2022, subject to the availability of amounts
4 appropriated for this specific purpose, the governor's challenge team
5 and service members, veterans, and their families suicide prevention
6 advisory committee shall report to the legislature on a biannual
7 basis regarding implementation of the plan developed by the
8 committee.
9 NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 43.60A
10 RCW to read as follows:
11 Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this
12 specific purpose, the department shall:
13 (1) Create and maintain a database of information on nonprofit,
14 for-profit, city, county, state, and federal organizations,
15 providers, and resources that address the mental health, well-being,
16 and suicide prevention of veterans, military members, and their
17 families. The department shall establish criteria for inclusion in
18 the database by July 1, 2022. The department must make the database
19 accessible on its website to veterans, military members, and their
20 families by July 1, 2023;
21 (2) Provide suicide prevention education training and information
22 for veterans, military members, and their families that is accessible
23 through the internet; and
24 (3) By December 1, 2023, create, in consultation with the
25 suicide-safer homes task force, a web-based application to be shared
26 by state agencies and primary care providers with veterans, military
27 members, and their families to provide applicable information and
28 resources including but not limited to benefits, mental health
29 resources, and lethal means safety information.
30 NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. A new section is added to chapter 18.130
31 RCW to read as follows:
32 (1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this
33 specific purpose, the department shall consult with the department of
34 veterans affairs to create educational materials informing health
35 care providers regulated under this chapter about the availability of
36 the nationwide 988 phone number for individuals in crisis to connect
37 with suicide prevention and mental health crisis counselors. The
38 educational materials must include information about the veterans
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 1 crisis line for veterans and service members, and, beginning July 1,
2 2023, information about the resources developed under section 5 of
3 this act.
4 (2) The department shall:
5 (a) Determine the health professions to which this section shall
6 apply; and
7 (b) Collaborate with the corresponding disciplining authority
8 under RCW 18.130.020 to ensure that the educational materials are
9 distributed electronically to appropriate licensed health care
10 providers when a provider renews his or her license.
11 (3) Beginning July 1, 2023, all health care providers are
12 strongly encouraged to inquire with new patients entering care
13 whether the patient is a veteran, member of the military, or a family
14 member of a veteran or member of the military. If the patient
15 responds in the affirmative, the provider is encouraged to share the
16 educational materials created under this section with the patient.
17 NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. A new section is added to chapter 43.70
18 RCW to read as follows:
19 (1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this
20 specific purpose, a suicide-safer homes task force is established to
21 raise public awareness and increase suicide prevention education
22 among new partners who are in key positions to help reduce suicide.
23 The task force shall be administered and staffed by the department of
24 veterans affairs. To the extent possible, the task force membership
25 should include representatives from geographically diverse and
26 priority populations, including tribal populations.
27 (2) The suicide-safer homes task force shall be cochaired by the
28 director, or the director's designee, of the department of veterans
29 affairs and the director, or the director's designee, of the
30 forefront suicide prevention center and also consist of the following
31 members:
32 (a) Two representatives of suicide prevention organizations,
33 selected by the cochairs of the task force;
34 (b) Two representatives of the firearms industry, selected by the
35 cochairs of the task force;
36 (c) Two individuals who are suicide attempt survivors or who have
37 experienced suicide loss, selected by the cochairs of the task force;
38 (d) Two representatives of law enforcement agencies, selected by
39 the cochairs of the task force;
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 1 (e) One representative from the department of health;
2 (f) One representative from the department of fish and wildlife;
3 (g) One individual representing veterans;
4 (h) One member of a Washington or federally recognized Indian
5 tribe;
6 (i) Two veterans;
7 (j) One representative of the national rifle association;
8 (k) One representative of the Second Amendment foundation;
9 (l) One representative of a nonprofit organization working on gun
10 safety issues;
11 (m) One representative of a national firearms trade association;
12 (n) One representative of a Washington state pharmacy
13 association; and
14 (o) No more than five other interested parties, selected by the
15 cochairs of the task force.
16 (3) The department of veterans affairs shall convene the initial
17 meeting of the task force.
18 (4) The task force shall:
19 (a) Develop and prepare to disseminate online trainings on
20 suicide awareness and prevention for firearms dealers and their
21 employees and firearm range owners and their employees;
22 (b) Partner with medical providers, firearms dealers, firearms
23 ranges, and pharmacies to develop and distribute suicide awareness
24 and prevention messages for posters and brochures;
25 (c) In consultation with the department of fish and wildlife,
26 develop strategies for creating and disseminati