| Social and Economic Policy Promote policies and funding to ensure a coordinated continuum of care for children at risk, reducing children removed from home or kinship networks by providing families with the supports they need and expand extended foster care. Issue Team Chair: Janet Hedgepath, jhedgepath@lwvwa.org |
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Legislation |
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2024 Children's Issues Legislation
Please refer to the weekly updates above for current status of the bills below.
Bills in green are supported. Bills in red are opposed by the League. Bills in black the League is watching.
HB 1455/SB 5695 Eliminating Child Marriage. This bill provides that a marriage entered in which either person has not attained the age of 18 years is void. It further eliminates provisions authorizing a court to waive the age requirement on a showing of necessity. HB 1455 was signed by the Governor and becomes effective 6/6/24
HB 2218/SB 5908 Extended foster care for youth 18-21. Directs the Department of Children, Youth and Families to make changes to the Extended Foster Care Program to reduce participation barriers. SB 5908 was delivered to the Governor.
Bills Not Moving Forward this Session
Bills in green are supported. Bills in red are opposed by the League. Bills in black the League is watching.
HB 1479/SB 5559 Concerning Restraint or Isolation in Public Schools and Educational Programs. This bill phases out the use of restraint or isolation by school staff and provides training of de-escalation practices. HB1479 did not make it out of the Senate Committee on Education.
HB 2016 Allowing Certain Minors to Contract for Housing and Utilities. This bill has died because it was not passed out of committee by the cut-off.
HB 2076/SB 6057 Addressing crimes involving human trafficking and sexual exploitation statewide. A coordinating committee is established to address the issue of children who are commercially sexually exploited, to examine the practices of local and regional entities involved in addressing sexually exploited children, and to make recommendations on statewide laws and practices. SB 2076 didn’t make it out of Rules.
HB 2146/SB 5850 Supporting students who are chronically absent and at risk for not graduating high school. Directs the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to establish a grant program for community-based organizations, tribes, and community and technical colleges to support students who are chronically absent, subject to appropriations. SB 5850 died in the House Committee on Appropriations.
SB 5591 Providing Dependent Youth with Financial Education and Support. Directs the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to develop a program to provide dependent youth, ages 14 and up, with the ability to establish a private, self-controlled account. This bill died in the House Committee on Appropriations
SB 6298 Concerning the Duty of Clergy to Report Child Abuse and Neglect. This bill adds clergy to the list of mandated reporters when there is reasonable cause to believe that a child has suffered abuse or neglect. Provides an exception to the mandated reporter requirement for child abuse or neglect for members of the clergy when the information is obtained solely in the context of penitential communication. SB 6298 did not make it out of the House Committee on Human Services, Youth and Early Learning
- If you are interested in a particular bill, use the links above to go to the webpage for that bill. These pages include staff summaries and reports including who testified PRO versus CON on the bill. There is also information about how to access videos of hearings that have been held.
- Read and take action through the LWVWA Legislative Action Newsletter, distributed each Sunday during the legislative session.
- You may also express your opinion on legislation with the LWVWA issue chairs. We will take your perspectives under consideration as we determine our support for legislation and prepare testimony. Please direct questions or comments to Janet Hedgepath, Children's Issues Issue Chair.