Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official page posted by the Washington Legislature, fetched 2026-08-29. This is the chaptered version. The official bill page.
CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1359
Chapter 358, Laws of 2025
69TH LEGISLATURE
2025 REGULAR SESSION
CRIMINAL INSANITY AND COMPETENCY TO STAND TRIAL—TASK FORCE AND STATUTE REORGANIZATION
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 27, 2025
Passed by the House April 22, 2025
Yeas 58 Nays 39
LAURIE JINKINS
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Passed by the Senate April 15, 2025
Yeas 31 Nays 17
DENNY HECK
President of the Senate
CERTIFICATE
I, Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1359 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth.
BERNARD DEAN
Chief Clerk
Chief Clerk
Approved May 19, 2025 2:53 PM
FILED
May 20, 2025
BOB FERGUSON
Governor of the State of Washington
Secretary of State
State of Washington
SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1359
AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE
Passed Legislature - 2025 Regular Session
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By House Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Thai, Abbarno, Eslick, Goodman, and Davis)
READ FIRST TIME 02/28/25.
AN ACT Relating to reviewing laws related to criminal insanity and competency to stand trial; adding new sections to chapter 10.77 RCW; creating new sections; recodifying RCW 10.77.010, 10.77.020, 10.77.027, 10.77.0942, 10.77.095, 10.77.097, 10.77.210, 10.77.230, 10.77.240, 10.77.250, 10.77.255, 10.77.260, 10.77.270, 10.77.275, 10.77.280, 10.77.300, 10.77.145, 10.77.163, 10.77.165, 10.77.205, 10.77.207, 10.77.060, 10.77.065, 10.77.070, 10.77.100, 10.77.025, 10.77.030, 10.77.040, 10.77.080, 10.77.091, 10.77.094, 10.77.110, 10.77.120, 10.77.132, 10.77.140, 10.77.150, 10.77.152, 10.77.155, 10.77.160, 10.77.170, 10.77.175, 10.77.180, 10.77.190, 10.77.195, 10.77.200, 10.77.220, 10.77.050, 10.77.068, 10.77.072, 10.77.074, 10.77.075, 10.77.078, 10.77.079, 10.77.084, 10.77.0845, 10.77.086, 10.77.088, 10.77.0885, 10.77.089, 10.77.092, 10.77.093, 10.77.202, and 10.77.320; decodifying RCW 10.77.2101, 10.77.290, 10.77.310, 10.77.940, and 10.77.950; and providing an expiration date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1)(a) A task force to review laws related to criminal insanity and competency to stand trial is established, with members as provided in this subsection.
(i) The secretary of the department of social and health services or the secretary's designee;
(ii) The secretary of the department of corrections or the secretary's designee;
(iii) The director of the health care authority or the director's designee;
(iv) The Washington state attorney general or the attorney general's designee;
(v) The director of the Washington state office of public defense or the director's designee; and
(vi) The department of social and health services shall appoint 21 members representing the following:
(A) One member representing superior courts, to be designated by the Washington state superior court judges association;
(B) One member representing courts of limited jurisdiction, to be designated by the Washington state district and municipal courts judges association;
(C) One member representing prosecutors practicing in courts of limited jurisdiction, to be designated by the Washington association of prosecuting attorneys;
(D) One member representing prosecutors practicing in superior courts, to be designated by the Washington association of prosecuting attorneys;
(E) One member representing trial-level criminal defense attorneys practicing in courts of limited jurisdiction, to be designated by the Washington defender association;
(F) One member representing trial-level criminal defense attorneys practicing in superior courts, to be designated by the Washington defender association;
(G) One member representing law enforcement, to be designated by the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs;
(H) One member representing the interests of victims, to be designated by the office of crime victims advocacy;
(I) One member designated by disability rights Washington;
(J) One member designated by the national alliance on mental illness Washington;
(K) One member designated by the plaintiff's counsel in A.B., by and through Trueblood, et al., v. DSHS, et al., No. 15-35462 ("Trueblood");
(L) A representative of a behavioral health administrative services organization;
(M) A representative of a medicaid managed care organization;
(N) A representative of county governments, to be designated by the Washington state association of counties;
(O) A representative of city governments, to be designated by the association of Washington cities;
(P) A labor representative, to be designated by the Washington federation of state employees;
(Q) A representative of western state hospital;
(R) A representative of eastern state hospital; and
(S) Three individuals with direct lived experience of the forensic mental health system, including at least one person who is a former competency restoration patient and at least one person with experience of commitment related to criminal insanity.
(b) The task force shall choose its cochairs from among its membership. The Washington state association of counties shall convene the initial meeting of the task force.
(2) The task force shall undertake the following tasks:
(a) A comprehensive review of the laws in chapter 10.77 RCW to modernize and clean up issues that present barriers to administration, public safety, consistency, fairness, efficiency, and comprehension by victims, committed individuals, families, and the courts;
(b) Consider potential terminology and language changes to promote patient-centered language, improve coherence between legal and medical terminology, reduce stigma, and improve understanding of the competency evaluation process; and
(c) Make recommendations concerning law changes that would remove barriers to diversion, promote effective treatment, and increase services that would facilitate safe and responsible hospital discharges.
(3) The task force may form subcommittees to assist its work. The task force may contract with additional persons with specific technical expertise if necessary to carry out the mandates of the study. Such contracts may only be entered if an appropriation is specifically provided for this purpose.
(4) Staff support for the task force must be provided by the Washington state association of counties. The Washington state association of counties must provide reporting under RCW 43.18A.030.
(5) All meetings of the task force must be held in a virtual format.
(6) The task force shall report its findings and recommendations to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2026.
(7) This section expires December 31, 2026.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The code reviser shall recodify, as necessary, the following sections of chapter 10.77 RCW in the following order within chapter 10.77 RCW, using the indicated chapter headings:
Definitions
RCW 10.77.010
General Provisions
RCW 10.77.020
RCW 10.77.027
RCW 10.77.0942
RCW 10.77.095
RCW 10.77.097
RCW 10.77.210
RCW 10.77.230
RCW 10.77.240
RCW 10.77.250
RCW 10.77.255
RCW 10.77.260
RCW 10.77.270
RCW 10.77.275
RCW 10.77.280
RCW 10.77.300
Authorized Leave and Furloughs
RCW 10.77.145
RCW 10.77.163
Community Notifications
RCW 10.77.165
RCW 10.77.205
RCW 10.77.207
Evaluations Under This Chapter
RCW 10.77.060
RCW 10.77.065
RCW 10.77.070
RCW 10.77.100
Criminal Insanity
RCW 10.77.025
RCW 10.77.030
RCW 10.77.040
RCW 10.77.080
RCW 10.77.091
RCW 10.77.094
RCW 10.77.110
RCW 10.77.120
RCW 10.77.132
RCW 10.77.140
RCW 10.77.150
RCW 10.77.152
RCW 10.77.155
RCW 10.77.160
RCW 10.77.170
RCW 10.77.175
RCW 10.77.180
RCW 10.77.190
RCW 10.77.195
RCW 10.77.200
RCW 10.77.220
Competency to Stand Trial
RCW 10.77.050
RCW 10.77.068
RCW 10.77.072
RCW 10.77.074
RCW 10.77.075
RCW 10.77.078
RCW 10.77.079
RCW 10.77.084
RCW 10.77.0845
RCW 10.77.086
RCW 10.77.088
RCW 10.77.0885
RCW 10.77.089
RCW 10.77.092
RCW 10.77.093
RCW 10.77.202
RCW 10.77.320
(2) The code reviser shall correct all statutory references to sections recodified by this section.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The following sections are decodified:
(1) RCW 10.77.2101 (Implementation of legislative intent);
(2) RCW 10.77.290 (Secretary to adopt rules— 2015 1st sp.s. c 7);
(3) RCW 10.77.310 (Health care authority contracts— Compensation of staff in outpatient competency restoration programs);
(4) RCW 10.77.940 (Equal application of 1989 c 420— Evaluation for developmental disability); and
(5) RCW 10.77.950 (Construction— Chapter applicable to state registered domestic partnerships— 2009 c 521).
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2025, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.
Passed by the House April 22, 2025.
Passed by the Senate April 15, 2025.
Approved by the Governor May 19, 2025.
Filed in Office of Secretary of State May 20, 2025.Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.