PRIA Logo™
WashingtonSB 57452025-2026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

Concerning appointed counsel for individuals detained under the involuntary treatment act.

Sponsored By: Manka Dhingra (Democratic)

Became Law

Your PRIA Score

Score Hidden

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to start

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

5 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.

State-arranged lawyers for detained people

If you are detained under the involuntary treatment law at a state facility, your county can ask the Health Care Authority to hire the Office of Public Defense to provide a lawyer. When the Authority asks on the county’s behalf, the Office of Public Defense provides defense services for indigent people using county funds. If the Office of Public Defense cannot take the case, the Authority must tell the county within 30 days. After that notice, the county must provide a lawyer itself or by contract.

What you pay for lawyers and fees

If the court appoints you a lawyer, you must pay the costs if you can afford them under your county’s court standards. If you are found indigent under those standards, the behavioral health administrative services organization repays the county’s reasonable legal costs. It does not repay when the Office of Public Defense provides the lawyer under the state contracting arrangement. No filing fee can be charged in civil commitment cases that qualify for reimbursement.

How counties get paid back for cases

Counties and tribes can get paid back each quarter for reasonable direct court costs in civil commitment cases. Per-case rates are set by an independent review of the last three years of actual costs; if there is no history, the rate is 80% of the median from the review. A civil commitment case includes all hearings for one hospital stay or one less‑restrictive treatment episode; a new or successive 180‑day petition is a new case, but not one filed for a state psychiatric hospital patient. If the Health Care Authority hires the Office of Public Defense for a county’s cases, it cuts that county’s BH‑ASO funding by the same dollar amount. The BH‑ASO that provided services can be repaid by the BH‑ASO for the person’s home county.

Attorney General handles hospital legal work

The Attorney General represents and advises state hospitals and facilities in most proceedings under this law. This does not cover proceedings those hospitals or facilities start to seek a 14‑day detention.

Two 2024 sections are repealed

The law repeals two 2024 sections: chapter 62, sections 26 and 27. Those sections are no longer in effect now.

Free Policy Watch

You just read the policy. Now see what it costs you.

Pick a topic. PRIA runs your household against live legislation and sends you a free personalized readout.

Pick a topic to get started

My TaxesMy HealthMy BudgetMy MoneyMy Freedom
Or tell us something more specific

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Manka Dhingra

    Democratic • Senate

Cosponsors

  • Jamie Pedersen

    Democratic • Senate

  • Jessica Bateman

    Democratic • Senate

  • John Lovick

    Democratic • Senate

  • T'wina Nobles

    Democratic • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 108 • No: 37

House vote • 4/11/2025

3rd Reading & Final Passage

Yes: 59 • No: 37 • Other: 2

Senate vote • 3/10/2025

3rd Reading & Final Passage

Yes: 49 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Effective date 5/12/2025*.

    5/12/2025Senate

  2. Chapter 226, 2025 Laws.

    5/12/2025Senate

  3. Governor signed.

    5/12/2025legislature

  4. Delivered to Governor.

    4/22/2025legislature

  5. Speaker signed.

    4/18/2025legislature

  6. President signed.

    4/18/2025legislature

  7. Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.

    4/11/2025Senate

  8. Third reading, passed; yeas, 59; nays, 37; absent, 0; excused, 2.

    4/11/2025Senate

  9. Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.

    4/11/2025Senate

  10. Referred to Rules 2 Review.

    4/8/2025Senate

  11. APP - Executive action taken by committee.

    4/7/2025Senate

  12. Minority; do not pass.

    4/7/2025Senate

  13. APP - Majority; do pass.

    4/7/2025Senate

  14. Referred to Appropriations.

    4/1/2025Senate

  15. Minority; without recommendation.

    3/28/2025Senate

  16. Minority; do not pass.

    3/28/2025Senate

  17. CRJ - Majority; do pass.

    3/28/2025Senate

  18. CRJ - Executive action taken by committee.

    3/28/2025Senate

  19. First reading, referred to Civil Rights & Judiciary.

    3/12/2025Senate

  20. Third reading, passed; yeas, 49; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 0.

    3/10/2025Senate

  21. Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.

    3/10/2025Senate

  22. Floor amendment(s) adopted.

    3/10/2025Senate

  23. 2nd substitute bill substituted.

    3/10/2025Senate

  24. Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.

    3/5/2025Senate

  25. Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.

    2/28/2025Senate

Bill Text

Related Bills

Back to State Legislation

Take It Personal

Get Your Personalized Policy View

Take the PRIA Score to see how policy affects your household, then upgrade to PRIA Full Coverage for year-round monitoring.

Already have an account? Sign in