HB 1663
In CommitteeHouse
Youth mental health/schools
Enhancing youth mental health and well-being through advanced training and expansion of the workforce in schools.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
HB 1663 strengthens school-based mental health services by expanding the school social work workforce, clarifying roles of mental health professionals, and updating state funding formulas to support hiring and placement of trained staff. It responds to high student absenteeism and mental health needs by aiming to reach the national recommendation of one social worker per 250 students.
- Clarifies and expands the role of school social workers to include mental health counseling, crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, case management, and leadership in discipline policy development.
- Requires educational service districts to coordinate with mental health agencies and universities to place social work students and recent graduates in schools under supervision.
- Amends funding formulas to increase state support for school-based mental health professionals (e.g., social workers, psychologists, counselors) and align staffing allocations with actual district-level ratios.
- Adds new reporting requirements for per-pupil state funding allocations, including breakdowns for special programs like learning assistance, bilingual education, and career and technical education.
- Adjusts prototypical school staffing formulas to reflect higher support staff needs, including specific allocations for social workers in elementary, middle, and high schools.
Who is affected
- K-12 students — Students in K-12 public schools, especially those experiencing mental health challenges, absenteeism, or who are from marginalized or high-poverty backgrounds, will gain access to more mental health and support services through increased school-based social workers and other professionals.
- School districts and educational service districts — School districts and educational service districts will be responsible for hiring, coordinating, and integrating more mental health professionals, and must align staffing with new funding formulas and reporting requirements.
- Social work students and early-career professionals — Social work students and recent graduates (e.g., MSW candidates, post-MSW professionals, and social worker associates) will have new pathways to gain supervised in-school clinical placements and state certification.
- Certified school-based mental health professionals — Certified school counselors, psychologists, and social workers will see their roles and responsibilities clarified and expanded, particularly around mental health service delivery and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (5)
Expanding the法定 scope of practice for school social workers to include mental health counseling, crisis intervention, and trauma-informed care directly improves access to evidence-based behavioral health services for students—especially those with IEPs, 504 plans, or undiagnosed conditions—reducing reliance on external providers and waitlists.
HealthcarePeopleRef: Sec. 2, RCW 28A.410.044(2)(a)Requiring districts to prioritize funding for mental health support staff who hold valid Educational Staff Associate (ESA) certificates ensures that newly hired social workers, psychologists, and counselors meet state training standards, improving service quality and consistency across districts.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 6, RCW 28A.150.260(5)(c)(i)Tying additional learning assistance funding to schools with ≥50% free/reduced-price meal eligibility (qualifying schools) and requiring districts to direct those funds to those schools helps target academic and mental health support to students in high-poverty communities, where mental health needs are often most acute.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 6, RCW 28A.150.260(10)(a)(ii)Creating pathways for social work students and recent graduates to obtain supervised in-school placements and state certification expands the pipeline of qualified mental health professionals, particularly benefiting early-career professionals in rural or high-need areas who may otherwise struggle to meet supervision requirements.
Business & EmploymentPeopleRef: Sec. 4 (new)Defining “physical, social, and emotional support staff” to include social workers, psychologists, and counselors—and requiring districts to use increased allocations to prevent layoffs or increase salaries for these roles—strengthens school-based crisis response capacity and reduces the risk of student harm due to staffing gaps.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 6, RCW 28A.150.260(5)(c)(iii)
Potential Concerns (5)
Clarifying and expanding the role of school social workers to include mental health counseling, crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, and discipline policy leadership improves early identification and de-escalation of behavioral health crises, reducing the likelihood of school-based incidents requiring law enforcement intervention.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 2, RCW 28A.410.044(2)(a)Mandating coordination between educational service districts, mental health agencies, and universities to place social work students and recent graduates in schools increases access to mental health services, especially for students in high-poverty or rural districts that struggle to recruit licensed staff.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 4 (new)Adding new minimum staffing allocations for social workers (0.060 FTE per prototypical school at all levels) and requiring districts to prioritize certified ESAs for these roles directly increases the number of trained mental health professionals in schools, particularly benefiting students in under-resourced districts.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 6, RCW 28A.150.260(5)(b)Requiring the superintendent to report per-pupil state funding allocations—including for learning assistance, bilingual education, and career and technical education—on public websites improves transparency and enables communities to hold districts accountable for equitable resource distribution.
transparencyPeopleRef: Sec. 6, RCW 28A.150.260(2)(b)Allowing the superintendent to allocate mental health support staff funding only to the extent of districts’ demonstrated actual ratios may limit the bill’s impact in districts that have historically underinvested in such staff, potentially slowing progress toward the 1:250 ratio target.
EducationRef: Sec. 6, RCW 28A.150.260(5)(c)(i)
Who Is Most Affected
Students—especially those in high-poverty, rural, or marginalized communities—will benefit from increased access to school-based mental health services, reduced absenteeism, and earlier intervention for behavioral health concerns. However, students in districts that fail to meet the new staffing targets may see limited gains.
School districts in high-poverty or rural areas will gain new funding and flexibility to hire certified mental health staff, but may face short-term administrative burdens in coordinating with ESDs and behavioral health agencies. Larger districts are better positioned to implement the changes quickly.
Social work students and early-career professionals gain new supervised placement pathways and certification routes, improving job access and reducing barriers to licensure. However, competition for placements may be uneven across regions.
Certified school-based mental health professionals gain clearer role definitions, expanded scope of practice, and stronger legal standing to lead discipline and mental health initiatives—enhancing their professional authority and impact.