S-1030.1
SENATE BILL 5665
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By Senators Fortunato, Holy, and Warnick
Read first time 02/05/25. Referred to Committee on Human Services.
AN ACT Relating to reporting child sex abuse; amending RCW 26.44.020 , 26.44.030 , 28A.310.280 , and 28A.300.040 ; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The Washington state legislature finds that because children are one of our state's most valuable resources and our future, it is of utmost importance to provide for their physical and emotional safety. In recent years, allegations of sexual abuse have soared, specifically against trusted adults. The legislature finds that there is a need to implement robust training, reporting, and background checks in addition to rigorous psychological screening processes before volunteers and employees interact with vulnerable populations. In its 2018 report, the Washington schools risk management pool reported unprecedented numbers of sexual abuse claims, but there is very little specific data. Therefore, the legislature recognizes there is a need for more data collection regarding sexual abuse of children in our state. The legislature intends to improve data collection by public institutions overseeing our school-age children, including educational service districts and the office of the superintendent of public instruction.
The legislature also intends that clergy be treated the same as other mandatory reporters, while acknowledging that religious practices and religious freedoms are protected by the Constitution of the United States. The legislature intends to respect church practices and sacred sacraments, including the sacrament of penance and reconciliation.