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Committee hears plan to award $140 million for regional behavioral‑health expansions; sponsors urge paired oversight
Summary
Senate Bill 2 would appropriate $140 million for regional behavioral‑health planning and program start‑ups, funding community planning, outpatient and inpatient capacity, mobile crisis teams, diversion programs and housing supports.
Senate Bill 2 proposes a $140 million initial appropriation to fund a wide set of regional behavioral‑health initiatives, including planning, diversion and transitional acute facilities, outpatient and inpatient services, mobile crisis teams, homelessness outreach and housing supports.
Sponsors described SB 2 as an implementation vehicle to make early investments in the regional plans that SB 3 would create. The bill breaks the appropriation into multiple targeted grant pools: planning grants to judicial districts and the administrative office of the courts (AOC) for sequential intercept mapping and regional case management; grants to counties, municipalities, tribes, and the Health Care Authority for outpatient and diversion services; funds for crisis response facilities and mobile crisis teams; a grant program to the Department of Corrections for reentry planning; and a large housing allocation to the Department of Finance and Administration to expand supportive housing for people with behavioral‑health needs.
Witnesses included tribal representatives who said local tribal behavioral‑health centers are ready to scale up, Department of Public Safety staff who requested the bill include law‑enforcement access for equipment and training, and providers who said facilities across the state face long waiting lists. Providers and advocates urged priority for youth services and workforce development; sponsors said workforce elements are addressed across the package and through related budget items.
Committee members raised process questions and asked for more specificity on the role of local institutions — schools and disability advocates were repeatedly mentioned as stakeholders that should be included in planning. After extended questions from senators, the chair paused consideration of SB 2 so the committee could review the companion guardrails bill (SB 3) and consider amendments together. SB 2 was not voted on in this hearing.
