Department of Health

Policy Changes

988 Crisis System Capacity

Funding is provided to address the increase in workload and costs for the 988 Lifeline crisis call centers. With the promotion and increasing awareness of the 988 Lifeline, it is expected that call centers will receive more calls, texts, and chats. (Stw988BehavHealth&SuicidePrevLine - State)

988 System Rate Study

Funds are provided to conduct a study of the payment methodology for 988 call center services. (Stw988BehavHealth&SuicidePrevLine - State)

988 Technology Platform

Initial funding is provided to develop the IT system that will work with the 988 call center IT platform to provide interoperable capabilities with the Health Care Authority's 988-related systems. This platform facilitates the receipt, triage, and referral of callers, texters, and chatters to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. (Stw988BehavHealth&SuicidePrevLine - State)

Adult Vaccine Program

Approximately 500,000 adults 19-64 years old are uninsured without immunization coverage. This funding will provide two staff to conduct research on vaccine gaps and help set up a comprehensive adult vaccine program for uninsured adults across the state. (General Fund - State)

Ambulance Services Pass Through

Funding is provided for the Benton-Franklin Health District to pass through funds to Franklin County Public Health District #1 for three full-time EMTs and other resources necessary to provide health services as part of medical transport operations. This includes services to the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center. (General Fund - State)

Archives/Records Management

Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated share of charges for archives and records management services provided by the Secretary of State's Office. (General Fund - Local, General Fund - Federal, General Fund - State, other funds)

Audit Services

Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of audits performed by the State Auditor's Office. (General Fund - Federal)

Birth Center Grants

Birthing centers provide safe alternatives for labor and delivery services staffed by certified midwives or certified nurse midwives. Funds are provided for one-time grants to support new birthing centers in areas lacking access to these services. (General Fund - State)

CTS Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from Consolidated Technology Services (CTS) for the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of Cybersecurity, state network, enterprise and small agency IT services, enterprise architecture and data management, Microsoft 365 licenses, and other items. (General Fund - Federal, General Fund - State, General Fund - Local, other funds)

Cancer Grant Shortfall

Unspent funding for cancer prevention and screening programs is transferred from fiscal year 2024 to fiscal year 2025. (General Fund - State)

Cannabis Revenue Distributions

Appropriations from the Dedicated Cannabis Account are adjusted pursuant to Chapter 169, Laws of 2022 (E2SSB 5796) and the November 2023 revenue forecast. (Dedicated Cannabis Account - State)

Certificate of Need Assessment

Funding is provided to conduct an analysis of the certificate of need program established under chapter 70.38 RCW and report findings and recommendations to the governor and appropriate legislative committees by June 30, 2025. The department must, at a minimum, consider other state approaches to certificate of need, impacts on access to care, cost control of health services, equity, and approaches to identifying health care service needs at the statewide and community levels. (General Fund - State)

Chemical Contamination Remediation

This item provides pass-through dollars for non-profits that operate transitional housing that need remediation to address methamphetamine or other hazardous contamination clean-ups. (Model Toxics Control Operating Acct - State)

Clean Water Testing

Funding is provided to administer the nitrate water hazard mitigation plan to support safe drinking water in the lower Yakima valley. Administration of this plan includes, but is not limited to, providing education and outreach to potentially-impacted residents, well testing, and the provision of alternate water supply as warranted. The department may contract with local governments and non-profit organizations to administer the plan. (Model Toxics Control Operating Acct - State)

Community Compensation Stipends

Funding is provided for community compensation stipends for low-income individuals who participate in priority engagements across the Department of Health. (General Fund - State)

Credentialing Timelines

Credentialing timelines for health care providers have increased and customers are experiencing delays in obtaining their credential to practice, potentially exacerbating an already critical health care workforce shortage. This funding is for project management teams to implement improvements to reduce the time it takes to complete health care licensing processes. (General Fund - State)

DES Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) for Capitol campus costs; real estate, risk management, and small agency services; the Perry Street and Capitol Campus child care centers; enterprise applications, and other items. (General Fund - Federal, Health Professions Account - State, General Fund - State, other funds)

Environmental Justice Council

This funding will support the work of the Environmental Justice Council by managing its administrative needs and helping to conduct analysis and research. (General Fund - State, Climate Commitment Account - State)

GOV Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Office of the Governor for the Office of Equity. (General Fund - Local, General Fund - Federal, General Fund - State, other funds)

Health Disparities Council

Funding is provided for staff and contracted services to support the Governor's Interagency Coordinating Council on Health Disparities. The staff will help convene meetings, provide community outreach, and conduct research and analysis for the council. The contracted services will ensure that the council is accessible for all members through language translation services and hybrid meeting technology. (General Fund - State)

Health Disparities Council Bill

This item supports proposed legislation to update the Health Disparities Council's vision and goals, add three new public members, and produce a new report to the Governor and the Legislature in fiscal year 2028 and every two years thereafter. (General Fund - State)

Health Equity Zones

Funds are provided to implement community-led projects in three new health equity zones. Health equity zones are geographic areas with demonstrated health disparities and poor outcomes and are populated with Tribal members, immigrants, impoverished individuals, or communities of color. This was a recommendation of the Environmental Justice Council. (General Fund - State, Climate Commitment Account - State)

Hospital Bed Tracking Tool

Funds are provided to align the implementation plan for the creation of a real-time hospital bed tracking tool for hospitals that meets WaTech's requirements under section 701 of the enacted 2023-25 budget. An updated report that aligns the information technology plan is due to the Office of Financial Management and the Office of the Governor by September 1, 2023. (General Fund - State)

Implementing HEAL Act

Funds are provided to address the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act implementation shortfall and support environmental health disparities mapping. This work is necessary for full compliance with the Department of Health’s obligations under the HEAL Act. (Climate Commitment Account - State, General Fund - State)

Improving Patient Safety

Funding is provided and appropriation authority is adjusted to develop a stronger enforcement approach to address health care facility noncompliance and take immediate action when there is risk of patient harm. This funding will support implementation of Substitute Senate Bill 5271 if it is enacted during the 2024 legislative session. (Medical Test Site Licensure Account - State, General Fund - State, General Fund - Private/Local, other funds)

Legal Services

Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of legal services provided by the Attorney General's Office. Because legal services expenditures are based on consumption, funding provided in the central service model is not all inclusive. The methodology to estimate consumption is a two-year average and allows for analysis to incorporate unique agency circumstances. (Health Professions Account - State, General Fund - State, General Fund - Local, other funds)

Music Therapy Fee Offset

This funding will subsidize the cost of the new music therapy licensure program and keep the fee affordable for music therapists. (General Fund - State)

Naloxone to First Responders

Naloxone is a fast-acting drug that can reverse opioid overdoses and return normal breathing within a few minutes. It is a life-saving drug and is the best chance for many who accidentally overdose. Funding is provided for a dedicated supply of Naloxone for first responders statewide to ensure that this life-saving drug is available in emergencies. (General Fund - State)

OFM Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Office of Financial Management for existing statewide applications, the One Washington program, and other central services. See Chapter 11 of the 2023-25 OFM Budget Instructions for allocation methodologies. (General Fund - Local, Health Professions Account - State, General Fund - State, other funds)

Opioid/Fentanyl Public Health

Funding is provided for a targeted opioid and fentanyl public health campaign to motivate people to engage in healthy or harm-reduction behaviors. (General Fund - State)

Pension Rate Month of Death Bill

Funding is provided for contribution rate impacts associated with proposed legislation that ensures the continuation of benefit payments through the end of the month in which a retiree or beneficiary dies. (General Fund - Federal, General Fund - State, Health Professions Account - State, other funds)

Public Health Cloud Technology

Funds are provided to maintain public health information technology infrastructure in a cloud-based environment. The department will develop an initial plan to identify efficiencies in the cloud-based environment and submit it to the Office of Financial Management and the Office of the Chief Information Officer by October 1, 2024. (General Fund - Federal, General Fund - State)

Rise Above Operational Support

Operational support funding is provided to Rise Above, a Native-led nonprofit that uses sports to keep at-risk Indigenous adolescents out of the juvenile justice system by exposing them to pro-social, multigenerational, and culturally relevant prevention programs. Through community-based collaborations, this initiative targets urban Native youths aged 5 to 18 in Washington State. (Opioid Abatement Settlement Account - State)

Rural Health Workforce

Area health education centers help recruit, train, and retain the health professional workforce in rural and urban underserved areas. Funding is provided for two new centers operated by Wenatchee Valley College in Wenatchee to help grow and diversify the rural workforce. (General Fund - State)

State Employee Benefits

Funding is provided to increase the retiree health insurance subsidy, adjusting the cap from $183 to $193 per month and raising the base subsidy percentage from 50 percent to 60 percent. The insurance funding rates are set at $1,145 per month for fiscal year 2024 and $1,158 per month for fiscal year 2025. (Health Professions Account - State, General Fund - State, General Fund - Federal, other funds)

Tribal Policy Support

Funding is provided for staffing to support a new Office of Tribal Policy at the department. (General Fund - State)

Water Reuse in Buildings

Funding is provided to implement newly enacted legislation to create standards for developers seeking to reuse wastewater in buildings. This funding will be directed toward building the program, which will eventually be partially fee-supported. (Model Toxics Control Operating Acct - State)