[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6326728,"mediaKeyId","2323763-325c066ec8fdfdd7aab3090f5debde6f","parentId",2323763,"title","Committee hears competing fiscal and worker-support arguments on PTSD presumption for correctional staff","audioSeconds",1644,"startMs",780000,"endMs",2424000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2323763-325c066ec8fdfdd7aab3090f5debde6f&start=780&end=2424","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2323763-325c066ec8fdfdd7aab3090f5debde6f/thumbnail_780000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6326728/Washington/Committee-hears-competing-fiscal-and-worker-support-arguments-on-PTSD-presumption-for-correctional-staff","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326728-665d449519e77a2a6f9798d23a1129cb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146906&Signature=Y51x-cX08EFIUDNtT~h4O1LJVgYbxGTBV5kJCVtIC5CUAYD9I0z1E96ms5gOitSdaYiFBxZ8BzjKzfCbHQ3P4-eIRwkY5eLNjxxmVj7X5-wX8TW6ckFt5193LNV9JtmAU5UbkPLk1t21Y4Gcsl4hnPEKo5X9NkG9maDfmgSVExz4lMK1LjiJh3THeWe7OK8d9nuq0~TakpUUJvd970YBurJIbtdzvAmJDyJHz2eyJ-8mNT6t2XSQWzTSbuzGgE~WPuykbL1qWrBZL22RNLEz12jUi0FHM3K3B31PaOaqF9NLOlo7~EumTgFNyNCJQ6UHhpxVyYfUZsYEPOE5FqHiOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House Environment & Energy","date","2025-02-17T00:00:00Z","article","The committee received a briefing and extensive public testimony on substitute House Bill 10-70, which would expand workers' compensation occupational disease coverage to include post-traumatic stress disorder for correctional facility workers and create a presumption tied to years of service.

Ben McCarthy, staff to the committee, told members the substitute bill permits occupational-disease claims for post-traumatic stress disorder for correctional facility staff, community corrections officers who work in facilities, juvenile facility staff and staff at city or county jails. The bill would also create a presumption that PTSD is an occupational disease for workers who have been employed on a fully compensated basis in Washington for at least 90 days; that presumption would extend for three calendar years for each year worked, up to a maximum of five years from the last day of employment, as described in the staff briefing.

Committee staff provided fiscal estimates and administrative assumptions. The Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) fiscal note in committee materials includes staffing and operating costs and projects additional FTE needs to manage new claims. Staff cited estimated needs of roughly 1.9 FTE in the 2025-27 biennium, 3.2 FTE in 2027-29 and 4.3 FTE in 2029-31 for L&I administration. Local-government estimates in the materials assumed about 30 PTSD self-insurance claims annually for counties and 25 for cities with an assumed allowance rate of about 81 percent. The Office of the State Actuary was reported to estimate a small increase in contribution rates for the Public Safety Employees' Retirement System.

Supporters, including corrections staff and unions, urged the committee to adopt the presumption, saying corrections work produces cumulative trauma and that many employees do not seek help promptly. James McMahon of the Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs recounted hiring a retired corrections officer who later died by suicide and urged passage. Lieutenants and deputies from Thurston County told the committee about assaults, repeated exposure to severe incidents and the difficulty of proving cumulative PTSD under current rules.

Opponents, including trade groups and municipal officials, argued the fiscal note underestimates long-term costs and cautioned that extending the presumption to city jails would create an unfunded mandate for cities. Rose Gunderson of the Washington Retail Association and Patrick Connor of NFIB said L&I and other analyses suggest allowed PTSD claims have high average costs and that the substitute could drive significant rate pressure for state fund participants and for self-insured local entities. Candace Bach of the Association of Washington Cities asked the committee to exclude city-operated jails from the presumption or delay action until a review process concludes.

Union and employee groups including AFSCME Council 2 and Teamsters Local 117 supported the bill, emphasizing the cumulative nature of trauma in correctional settings and urging prevention alongside benefit access.

No final vote was recorded in the hearing. Committee members asked staff to provide additional fiscal detail and follow-up materials; some representatives requested L&I's post-2018 data on PTSD claims for firefighters and law enforcement to inform debate.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Environment & Energy - 2/17/2025 1:30 PM","oneSentenceSummary","The committee received a briefing and extensive public testimony on substitute House Bill 10-70, which would expand workers' compensation occupational disease coverage to include post-traumatic stress disorder for correctional facility workers and create a presumption tied to years of service.","taxTitle","Environment & Energy, House of Representatives, Legislative Sessions, Washington","taxId",20260,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6326733,"Legislative panel hears support to extend children-and-youth multisystem care program through 2027",669,105000,774000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2323763-325c066ec8fdfdd7aab3090f5debde6f&start=105&end=774","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2323763-325c066ec8fdfdd7aab3090f5debde6f/thumbnail_105000.jpg","/articles/6326733/Washington/Legislative-panel-hears-support-to-extend-children-and-youth-multisystem-care-program-through-2027","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326733-91677f973ea8d118a1cebccc2890d12d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146906&Signature=L-RcT31okA0sEvmB1O6eWUnYJQbaU415jwrjkRsyawxplwG2DQFRX7Yy-LUGpNd--N5JNPmaBS2uLXHEYLNXJ9k1ZlQrcmpEPkNtr8U3IrvMuscl3kieottwpIUpfboigKnj6DzK~gWfDhu0gHAEXjwHzcwIG5BnECvZgTSFDJ6nQSh2g-dw3cwWOGPgkk-NLB0Tuly22p2kHW-HOQLdH~kGUDxBucEq5xCSm9XOdEHtbtdFvDbymFa-taNNWwI6vxMJhGO2GtSO0OOkwtyFRq7G1INIFlqirpYkqtIph9C-mND-Iek6tETow-jTEVQMfyaOzf~jspuJHc4pEoGR2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House committee heard a staff briefing and public testimony Tuesday on House Bill 12-72, a measure to extend the governor's children-and-youth multisystem care position and related rapid care team through June 30, 2027.

Supporters told the committee the program helps children in crisis who remain in hospitals when inpatient care is no longer medically necessary, and that flexible funding and cross-agency coordination have helped discharge children home with supports.

Luke Wickham, counsel to the Early Learning and Human Services Committee, told members the bill renames the governor's staff role from the Children and Youth Multisystem Care Coordinator to Children and Youth Multisystem Care Project Director and extends the position and related programs for two additional years. Wickham said the coordinator directs use of state resources, leads multi-agency rapid care teams and has access to flexible funds to support safe discharge and placement for children who are dependent or otherwise at risk of prolonged hospital stays.

Sydney Jeffrey, committee staff, summarized the fiscal note in the committee packet. The note lists an estimated total fiscal impact of about $6.5 million for the 2025-27 biennium; the governor's office projects roughly $6.1 million in general fund costs. The estimate includes salaries for three full-time positions, interagency contracts and about $3.4 million in flexible funds to support children and families. The Health Care Authority estimated a $450,000 impact for its role, and an average federal Medicaid match (FMAP) of about 58 percent was noted in staff materials.

Several witnesses during public testimony said the program has already reduced hospital boarding and saved money. Taku Minechita, identified as the Children and Youth Multisystem of Care director in the governor's office, said over the past year the program served more than 60 children and that roughly half discharged to home or community settings with in-home supports. Minechita said a hospitalization can cost up to about $3,300 per day and that flexible funding to support in-home staffing can run up to about $550 per day, and argued that avoiding even a small number of long hospital stays can yield substantial savings.

Representatives of Seattle Children's and parent advocates described cases in which children remained in hospitals or emergency departments for weeks or months because community services and placements were unavailable, and they urged lawmakers to continue the program and the flexible funding that helps arrange safe discharges.

The committee did not take final action on the bill during the hearing; testimony and staff briefings concluded and the committee proceeded to other agenda items.","Lawmakers heard staff and public testimony urging extension of the governor's children-and-youth multisystem care position and rapid care team; supporters said flexible funds and cross-agency coordination have discharged children from hospitals and can save state dollars. A fiscal note estimates multimillion-dollar costs for the 2025-27 biennium.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6326723,"Parent advocate urges support for substitute House Bill 1177, citing housing as cornerstone of recovery",131,5000,136000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2323763-325c066ec8fdfdd7aab3090f5debde6f&start=5&end=136","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2323763-325c066ec8fdfdd7aab3090f5debde6f/thumbnail_5000.jpg","/articles/6326723/Washington/Parent-advocate-urges-support-for-substitute-House-Bill-1177-citing-housing-as-cornerstone-of-recovery","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326723-0c1caffc71f402fa676f976db444bb5d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146906&Signature=EzImE1WKgz0MkSnKI6AiViFjq9J2dgDqmk4Vjk6VFTLoLrrpLBMusTAqHQo3oc1vJuk7qel1xtpgOlBzONxFy8Xgrre12i9fnwhRiENC7-kSQ93shz2nbfVIvrEfRpyfe8-5KiNhTAuxFOlpDQgKQm4Mb2VJaBmjY4WeUh7CnxB0JCxXP~8cF3XTVeD0A~QisrmTy1qAbL9-pFFBabl0qMxC9fkm-yAjak1mobGn~CPnz7PuZWAo3zAxgbFAnS8PpS7JP3IWq9ZFiKgf6MMtV--kBJvs56qnpDF7yQRduiRJzpYsBIl4ZPY7sJCQP~MghSeUx1Ma4HWmvdxek5uYcg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jennifer Justice, identified as a parent with lived experience and a parent ally with the First Legal Clinic, provided public comment in support of substitute House Bill 1177. She told the committee housing was the cornerstone of her recovery and parenting, and that stable housing allowed her to care for her children and maintain employment.

Justice described two families she works with. One family involved in the child welfare system obtained a Section 8 voucher through the Department of Children, Youth and Families and is reported to be thriving and supporting other families. The other family, Justice said, is a household of five with twins on the way; the mother is a domestic-violence survivor and the family includes a medically fragile five-month-old child. Justice said an interagency team had not been able to secure shelter options for that family, and she asked lawmakers to support House Bill 1177 so families in Washington would not face such gaps.

The public hearing on substitute House Bill 1177 concluded without a committee vote during the session.","A parent with lived experience told the committee substitute House Bill 1177 would help families involved in the child welfare system secure stable housing; she described two families' experiences—one who received a Section 8 voucher and one still without shelter.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears competing fiscal and worker-support arguments on PTSD presumption for correctional staff

Legislative panel hears support to extend children-and-youth multisystem care program through 2027

Parent advocate urges support for substitute House Bill 1177, citing housing as cornerstone of recovery