Page 157

(8) $7,147,000 of the general fund—state appropriation for fiscal 1 year 2024 and $7,147,000 of the general fund—state appropriation for 2 fiscal year 2025 are provided solely to maintain implementation of 3 efforts to improve the timeliness of competency evaluation services 4 for individuals who are in local jails pursuant to chapter 5, Laws of 5 2015 (timeliness of competency treatment and evaluation services). 6 This funding must be used solely to maintain increases in the number 7 of competency evaluators that began in fiscal year 2016 pursuant to 8 the settlement agreement under Trueblood, et al. v. Department of 9 Social and Health Services, et al., United States District Court for 10 the Western District of Washington, Cause No. 14-cv-01178-MJP. 11 (9) $71,690,000 of the general fund—state appropriation for 12 fiscal year 2024 and $77,825,000 of the general fund—state 13 appropriation for fiscal year 2025 are provided solely for 14 implementation of efforts to improve the timeliness of competency 15 restoration services pursuant to chapter 5, Laws of 2015 (timeliness 16 of competency treatment and evaluation services) and the settlement 17 agreement under Trueblood, et al. v. Department of Social and Health 18 Services, et al., United States District Court for the Western 19 District of Washington, Cause No. 14-cv-01178-MJP. These amounts must 20 be used to maintain increases that were implemented between fiscal 21 year 2016 and fiscal year 2021, and further increase the number of 22 forensic beds at western state hospital during the 2023-2025 fiscal 23 biennium. Pursuant to chapter 7, Laws of 2015 1st sp. sess. 24 (timeliness of competency treatment and evaluation services), the 25 department may contract some of these amounts for services at 26 alternative locations if the secretary determines that there is a 27 need. 28 (10) $84,483,000 of the general fund—state appropriation for 29 fiscal year 2024, $77,343,000 of the general fund—state appropriation 30 for fiscal year 2025, and $1,042,000 of the general fund—federal 31 appropriation are provided solely for the department to continue to 32 implement an acuity based staffing tool at western state hospital and 33 eastern state hospital in collaboration with the hospital staffing 34 committees. The staffing tool must be used to identify, on a daily 35 basis, the clinical acuity on each patient ward and determine the 36 minimum level of direct care staff by profession to be deployed to 37 meet the needs of the patients on each ward. The department must 38 evaluate interrater reliability of the tool within each hospital and 39 p. 156 ESSB 5187.SL