WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HB 2429

Supporting children and youth behavioral health.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Steve Bergquist and 23 co-sponsors

Creates a statewide, equity-focused framework and advisory Work Group to improve birth-to-25 behavioral health services, coordinating state efforts and reporting annually.

Effective date 6/11/2026.
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 2429

Bill Summary: HB 2429 (Session 2025-2026) — Washington

1. Purpose and Intent

  • HB 2429 Establishes and supports a statewide framework to improve behavioral health services for children and youth from birth through age 25.
  • Built on the Washington Thriving Strategic Plan, aiming to reduce barriers to access, align state and provider efforts, and create a coordinated, equity-focused system for perinatal-to-age-25 behavioral health.
  • Seeks to foster a unified direction among state agencies, providers, families, and youth to improve outcomes and reduce reliance on crisis-level interventions.

2. Key Provisions and Changes

A. Creation and Structure of the Work Group

  • Establishes a Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group (the Work Group).
  • Membership must reflect regional, racial, and cultural diversity of all children and families in the state.
  • The Work Group is intended to identify barriers and opportunities in accessing behavioral health services and to advise the Legislature on statewide services.
  • The Work Group includes a broad mix of stakeholders: legislators, state agency representatives, providers, parent and child representatives, and advocates.
  • Cochairs are to be chosen by Work Group members and must include one legislative member and one executive-branch member.
  • The Work Group has the authority to create advisory subgroups as needed to evaluate specific issues and report findings and recommendations.

B. Substantive Roles and Outputs

  • The Work Group must submit annual recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature.
  • The Work Group is aligned with the Washington Thriving Strategic Plan, including a long-range (10+ year) roadmap to build infrastructure, fill gaps, scale statewide, and enable continuous improvement in services.

C. Administrative and Timeline Considerations

  • The Work Group was previously set to expire December 30, 2029, under its current language; the bill integrates the ongoing Work Group into the state’s strategic implementation framework.
  • The background notes indicate an emphasis on coordinating input from lived experience and frontline providers to inform statewide recommendations and resource allocations.

D. Fiscal and Implementation Notes

  • Public testimony suggests the plan is designed to improve coordination, reduce fragmented services, and optimize use of state resources over time.
  • Amendments discussed in hearings focus on adjusting the Office of Equity’s role from active engagement to advisement to potentially reduce the fiscal note.
  • Private funders are expected to contribute to behavioral health initiatives, with hopes of reducing or eliminating the state’s ongoing fiscal burden.

3. Who Is Affected

  • Children, youth, and their families (birth through age 25) across Washington state.
  • State agencies involved in behavioral health, including health, education, social services, and equity-focused offices.
  • Behavioral health providers, schools, and community organizations partnering with state programs.
  • Advocates, parent and youth representatives who participate in the Work Group.

4. Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • The Work Group convenes advisory groups as directed by its cochairs and reports annually to the Governor and Legislature.
  • The framework is designed to operate under the Washington Thriving Strategic Plan, with a long-range implementation horizon.
  • Legislative action culminated in early March 2026, with Governor signing and the act becoming effective June 11, 2026.

5. Status and Recent Developments

  • Enrolled and signed into law: Chapter 93, 2026 Laws.
  • Effective date: June 11, 2026.
  • Full legislative history shows multi-year collaboration and alignment with the Washington Thriving initiative, reflecting bipartisan sponsorship and broad stakeholder engagement.

6. Notable Considerations

  • The bill emphasizes equity and diversity in Work Group composition.
  • Debates highlighted the balance between focusing on behavioral health services and addressing nonpsychiatric root causes (e.g., housing instability, discrimination, family conflict) as factors influencing youth well-being.
  • Ongoing discussions include whether the Office of Equity should have a more advisory role to manage fiscal implications.

This summary provides a concise overview of HB 2429, focusing on its purpose, key provisions, affected parties, and procedural timeline. If you’d like, I can pull out more detailed line-item provisions or compare this bill to the Washington Thriving plan’s targets.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.