Senate bill would allow recent opioid overdose reversal to support involuntary-treatment evaluation; supporters cite lives saved, critics warn of unintended det
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Summary
Senate Bill 5229 would permit a recent opioid-overdose reversal within two weeks prior to a detention to be considered evidence that a person is gravely disabled under the Involuntary Treatment Act, potentially enabling involuntary commitment evaluations.
Senate Bill 5229 would amend the Involuntary Treatment Act (ITA) to allow a designated crisis responder (DCR) to consider evidence that a person required revival by opioid-overdose reversal medication (such as naloxone/Narcan) within the two weeks preceding an initial detention as proof of being gravely disabled for purposes of involuntary commitment.
Senator Mark Wagner, prime sponsor, framed the bill as a life-saving measure that recognizes repeated overdose events can indicate a person is unable to make safe decisions and may pose danger to themselves or others. "People are dying, and they are unable to make good decisions for themselves," Wagner said, arguing that repeated revivals by first responders divert emergency resources and imperil others.
Supporters included James McMahon, policy director for the Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, who said the change would allow responders and DCRs more flexibility to deliver help when naloxone has prevented fatalities. Anne Anderson of the Washington State Narcotics Investigators Association endorsed the concept but noted practical issues such as determining whether an overdose reversal occurred and operational implementation needs.
Opponents and people with lived experience raised concerns about involuntary commitment's efficacy and harms. CeCe Wiedemann, an overdose survivor and researcher, described negative personal consequences from forced treatment that left her feeling "humiliated, destabilized, and powerless" and cited evidence that some involuntary treatment episodes increase overdose risk after treatment. Tim Lewis, a designated crisis responder supervisor, said current DCR practice already addresses many overdose-related risks and cautioned that broadening the gravely-disabled definition could lead to detentions of people who are temporarily impaired rather than persistently disabled.
Local elected officials also testified. LaDon Linde, a Yakima County commissioner, said his county recorded 146 overdose deaths last year and urged additional tools to help people who repeatedly overdose. Several witnesses said operational capacity—such as availability of treatment beds—remains a practical constraint.
Staff told the committee that the ITA already allows detention when a person is gravely disabled due to a behavioral-health disorder, and this bill would add recent opioid-overdose reversal in the two-week window as additional proof that a person is gravely disabled. The committee received mixed testimony; no final committee vote or action was recorded during the hearing.