S-1260.1
SENATE BILL 5706
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By Senator Fortunato
AN ACT Relating to determining child custody; and adding a new section to chapter 26.09 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 26.09 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The paramount concern of all child custody decisions must be to provide complete health and safety when determining the best interests of the child.
(2) Whenever domestic violence or child abuse is raised as an issue either during or before a child custody matter is litigated, any professional who provides advice or recommendations to the court must have substantial training and experience about domestic violence and child abuse to fully understand safety issues, including: Behaviors that are associated with higher lethality or injury risks; domestic violence dynamics; effects of domestic violence on children; and ability to recognize domestic violence and research about batterer narratives. Any professional without this necessary expertise must consult with someone who has this knowledge prior to giving any recommendation to the court.