The WA Senate just overwhelmingly passed HB1432 on a bipartisan vote of 48-1! Now that it’s over this big hurdle, the bill is just a couple steps away from becoming law. It will represent a big win for mental health and substance use care—and another step forward in the national fight to make care actually accessible when people need it.
Getting to this step wasn’t inevitable. It happened because people showed up. Advocates, providers, community members—and especially those who shared their own stories. People who talked openly about trying to get help for themselves or someone they love, only to run into endless, unnecessary barriers. It took guts to speak up. And it mattered. This win belongs to them.
We fought hard to get this bill across the finish line—alongside our partners, on-the-ground organizers, the bill’s sponsor Rep. Tarra Simmons, and other mental health champions like Sen. Jessica Bateman, Rep. Nicole Macri, Rep. Dan Bronoske, and Sen. Annette Cleveland who worked tirelessly every step of the way.
Our partners deserve their own big shout out for their relentless advocacy: NAMI Washington, Children’s Campaign Fund, the WA State Psychological Association, the WA Mental Health Counselors Association, the WA State Medical Association, and many others. HB1432 still needs one more procedural vote in the House and a signature from Governor Ferguson to officially move WA closer to a system where care is actually within reach—and not blocked by red tape or insurance games. There’s more to do, but this is real, tangible progress.
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