HB 1181 — Establishing programs and measures to prevent suicide among veterans and military members.

H-0496.3H-0293.1 SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1181 State of Washington 67th Legislature 2021 Regular Session By House Housing, Human Services & Veterans (originally sponsored by Representatives Orwall, Boehnke, Callan, Leavitt, Davis, Dolan, Valdez, Young, Riccelli, Lekanoff, Barkis, Peterson, Shewmake, Bronoske, Macri, and Morgan)Morgan READRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 02/01/21.01/13/21.

Referred to Committee on Housing, Human Services & Veterans.

adding a new section to chapter 18.13043.70 RCW;

1 SHBHB 1181 (3) Service members, veterans, and their families are at a higher risk of being affected by suicide as experiences prior to enlistment, during service, and transition from service can contribute to suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

2 SHBHB 1181 the veterans and military members suicide prevention account created in section 3 of this act, the department, in consultation with the University of Washington, must establish a process to receive, review, process, and award grants to organizations, including nonprofit and peer support community programs, that address veterans, military members, and their families who may be at risk of suicide and other mental health crises.

Priority should be given to organizations using peer support models that use evidence-based, research-based, or promising practices.practices, or peer support models.

3 SHBHB 1181 connection with the purchase of a firearm from a firearms dealer.

4 SHBHB 1181 Subject to theappropriations availabilityprovided of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall:

The department shall establish criteria for inclusion in the database by JulyDecember 1, 2021.

The department must make the database accessible on its website to veterans, military members, and their familiesfamilies; by July 1, 2022;

and (2) Provide suicide prevention education training and information for veterans, military members, and their families that is accessible through the internet;internet.

and (3) By December 1, 2022, create, in consultation with the suicide-safer homes task force, a web-based application to be shared by state agencies and primary care providers with veterans, military members, and their families to provide applicable information and resources including but not limited to benefits, mental health resources, and lethal means safety information.

A new section is added to chapter 18.13043.70 RCW to read as follows:

(1)In Subjectorder to theencourage availabilityproviders ofto amountsconsider appropriatedadditional foravailable thistraining specificand purpose,resources theto departmentbetter shallserve consultveterans, withmilitary themembers, departmentand oftheir veteransfamilies, affairsevery primary care provider required to createcomplete educationaltraining materialsunder informingRCW health43.70.442 careshall, providerswhen regulatedassessing, underscreening, thisreferring, chaptertreating, aboutor managing a patient, inquire into whether the availabilitypatient is a veteran, member of the nationwidemilitary 988services, phoneor numbera forfamily individualsmember inor crisisspouse toof connecta withveteran suicideor preventionmember andof mentalthe healthmilitary crisisservices. counselors.

The educational materials must include information about the veterans crisis line for veterans and service members, and, beginning July 1, 2022, information about the resources developed under section 5 of this act.

(2) The department shall:

(a) Determine the health professions to which this section shall apply;

and (b) Collaborate with the corresponding disciplining authority under RCW 18.130.020 to ensure that the educational materials are distributed electronically to appropriate licensed health care providers when a provider renews his or her license.

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5 SHB 1181 (3) Beginning July 1, 2022, all health care providers are strongly encouraged to inquire with new patients entering care whether the patient is a veteran, member of the military, or a family member of a veteran or member of the military.

If the patient responds in the affirmative, the provider is encouraged to share the educational materials created under this section with the patient.

(i) The suicide prevention and firearms subcommittee shall ((consist of the following members and)) be cochaired by the Universityp. of Washington ((school of social work and a member identified in (b)(i)(A) of this subsection (1):

5 HB 1181 University of Washington ((school of social work and a member identified in (b)(i)(A) of this subsection (1):

(B)))(B))), and a representative of the department of veterans affairs, and either a representative of the national rifle association,association or a representative of the Second Amendment foundation.

p.(((F))) (E) One representative from the department of health;

6 SHB 1181 (((F))) (E) One representative from the department of health;

and (H) TwoNo veterans;more than ((two)) five other interested parties, selected by the cochairs of the subcommittee.

and (I) No more than ((two)) five other interested parties, selected by the cochairs of the subcommittee.

(F)p. Two representatives of the Washington state poison control center;

6 HB 1181 (F) Two representatives of the Washington state poison control center;

p.(a) Develop and prepare to disseminate online trainings on suicide awareness and prevention for firearms dealers and their employees and firearm range owners and their employees;

7 SHB 1181 (a) Develop and prepare to disseminate online trainings on suicide awareness and prevention for firearms dealers and their employees and firearm range owners and their employees;

(h)p. Conduct a survey of firearms dealers and firearms ranges in the state to determine the types and amounts of incentives that would be effective in encouraging those entities to participate in suicide- safer homes projects;

7 HB 1181 (h) Conduct a survey of firearms dealers and firearms ranges in the state to determine the types and amounts of incentives that would be effective in encouraging those entities to participate in suicide- safer homes projects;

and((and)) (j) Create, implement, and evaluate a suicide awareness and prevention pilot program in two counties, one rural and one urban, that have high suicide rates.

p.(iii) Training health care providers on suicide awareness and prevention, paired with distribution of medication disposal kits and safe storage devices;

8and SHB(iv) 1181 (iii) Training healthlocal carelaw providersenforcement officers on suicide awareness and prevention, paired with distribution of medication disposal kits and safe storage devices;

and (iv)(k) TrainingMake localrecommendations lawregarding enforcementthe officerscreation onand suicidecontent awarenessof a web-based application to be shared by state agencies and prevention,primary pairedcare providers with distributionveterans, ofmilitary medicationmembers, disposaland kitstheir families to provide applicable information and saferesources storageincluding devices.but not limited to benefits, mental health resources, and lethal means safety information.

NEWp. SECTION.

8 HB 1181 NEW SECTION.