Lawmakers hear extension for rapid care team for children in crisis; bill adds flexible funding

Senate Bill 5427, sponsored in the Senate by Claire Wilson, was the subject of a Feb. 5 hearing before the Washington State Senate Human Services Committee. The bill would extend the children- and youth-multisystem-care project and the rapid care team established under 2023’s House Bill 1580 for two additional years, through June 30, 2027, and rename the care coordinator position as a project director.

Kelsey Ann Fung, committee staff, summarized the bill’s provisions and fiscal implications: the substitute removes outdated initial and final reporting requirements and replaces them with an annual report to the legislature; it includes an emergency clause; and a fiscal note shows $454,000 for the 2025–27 biennium for Health Care Authority participation and $6,000,000 for the governor’s office for staff and flexible funding for housing and wraparound services to support safe discharge and prevent future hospitalization of children in…