Washington enacts law to speed transfers from outpatient restoration and tighten competency service deadlines
The final bill report for 2SSB 5664, signed with a partial veto on March 31, 2022 and effective June 9, 2022, summarized a package of changes to Washington's competency system in the middle of the Trueblood settlement. If outpatient restoration ends, the state must place the person in an inpatient program within seven days. The law also lengthened the initial outpatient period for some felony defendants, lets a party request a status check when someone has waited 21 days in jail after a transport order, and adds psychiatric nurse practitioners to the professionals who can perform competency evaluations.
The report also resets the performance targets and maximum time limits for evaluations and admissions, and it allows extensions with written notice for reasons such as substance impairment or medical unavailability. Responsibility for outpatient restoration costs moved to the Health Care Authority.
The background section cites the December 2021 court monitor report, which found jail evaluations meeting the 14-day limit on average but transport to restoration taking about 45 days on volume of about 113 orders a month.
Source: FINAL BILL REPORT 2SSB 5664 — Washington State Legislature, by Washington State Senate (Office of Senate Bill Reports)
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