Insight Blog — January 2021
Enhancing and expanding behavioral health and suicide prevention crisis response services
January 30, 2021
House Bill HB 1477 and Senate Bill SB 5209: See below for current status Background Washington’s crisis response system does not ensure coordinated care, and individuals in crisis are often unable to access the resources and support they need. This impacts youth and adults, and individuals in any sort of mental health, suicide or addiction […] Read more »
Remote Public Testimony
January 20, 2021
In 2023, public testimony can be given virtually or in person. Remote testimony The Legislature has expanded remote testimony capabilities so people can testify on any bill from anywhere up to an hour prior to a committee meeting. Sign-up to testify remotely to a House committee. Sign-up to testify remotely to a Senate committee. […] Read more »
Top Ten Tips for New Advocates
January 16, 2021
Learn who your legislators are and how to reach them. Learn how to track your bill. Decide what the single most important piece of your story is in relation to the legislation you want to support. Be ready to state this in an email or phone call. If you testify, you will have two […] Read more »
Sharing Your Story
How to Share Your Story There are several ways to share your story with lawmakers. You can write (email, snail mail, online contact forms) your representatives, or committee chairs and members, or call their offices, to share your story. In these cases, your story is shared directly with the lawmakers and their staff, and other […] Read more »
Tracking a Bill
Find bill information here. You need to know the bill’s number. Your legislators’ office staff will have this information. Find the bills Forefront is supporting in 2021 here. HB stands for House Bill; SB stands for Senate Bill; SHB stands for Substitute House Bill, etc. If your bill makes it to the second house (usually […] Read more »
What Committees Do
For a detailed description of how a legislative bill becomes law, go to the Overview of the Legislative Process. A Simplified Explanation of the Legislative Process Legislation, or bills, start in the committee that covers the bill’s general topic. A suicide prevention bill could originate in a committee on health care, education, Veterans, or elsewhere, […] Read more »
Contacting Your Legislators
January 15, 2021
How to Contact Your Legislators If you aren’t sure who your state legislators are, use Washington’s District Finder. After entering your address, make sure the toggle for District Type is on Legislative, not Congressional. Washington has 49 Legislative Districts. Your district number and the name and political party of your legislators will pop up: one […] Read more »