---
type: "Bill"
title: "Increasing the availability of assisted outpatient behavioral health treatment."
description: "Increasing the availability of assisted outpatient behavioral health treatment."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2017-2018"
identifier: "SB 6491"
citation: "Washington SB 6491 (2017-2018)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["MENTAL HEALTH", "ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["O'Ban"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 37
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2018-01-19"
last_action: "2018-03-27"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/9fd89adc-d32d-49fa-9dd2-6ff817750c8f"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=6491&year=2017"
source_hash: "7575ceae75f4cca55b799ae40826abfaa55349a6407806e7b5d3b6a22e7780b9"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-wa"]
---

# Washington SB 6491 (2017-2018) — Increasing the availability of assisted outpatient behavioral health treatment.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2017-18/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/6491.htm)
2. **Engrossed Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2017-18/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/6491-S.E.htm)
3. **Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2017-18/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/6491-S.htm)

## Votes

- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#7) — **92–5** (pass) · lower
- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#24) — **48–1** (pass) · upper
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#32) — **46–1** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- O'Ban — primary (person)
- Darneille — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2018-01-19** First reading, referred to Human Services & Corrections. `reading-1`
- **2018-01-30** HSC - Majority; do pass.
- **2018-01-30** And refer to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2018-02-01** Referred to Ways & Means.
- **2018-02-06** WM - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2018-02-06** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2018-02-06** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2018-02-08** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2018-02-12** 1st substitute bill substituted. `substitution`
- **2018-02-06** WM - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2018-02-06** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2018-02-06** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2018-02-08** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2018-02-12** 1st substitute bill substituted. `substitution`
- **2018-02-12** Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- **2018-02-12** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2018-02-12** Third reading, passed; yeas, 46; nays, 1; absent, 0; excused, 2. `reading-3`
- **2018-02-15** First reading, referred to Judiciary (Not Officially read and referred until adoption of Introduction report). `reading-1`
- **2018-02-22** JUDI - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).
- **2018-02-22** Minority; do not pass.
- **2018-02-22** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2018-02-23** Referred to Appropriations.
- **2018-02-26** APP - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).
- **2018-02-26** Minority; do not pass.
- **2018-02-26** Referred to Rules 2 Review.
- **2018-02-28** Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.
- **2018-03-01** Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.
- **2018-03-01** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2018-03-01** Third reading, passed; yeas, 92; nays, 5; absent, 0; excused, 1. `reading-3`
- **2018-03-06** Senate concurred in House amendments.
- **2018-03-06** Passed final passage; yeas, 48; nays, 1; absent, 0; excused, 0. `passage`
- **2018-03-08** President signed. `passage`
- **2018-03-08** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2018-03-09** Delivered to Governor.
- **2018-03-27** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2018-03-27** Chapter 291, 2018 Laws. `became-law`
- **2018-03-27** Effective date 4/1/2018*. `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/9fd89adc-d32d-49fa-9dd2-6ff817750c8f`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).