S-3496.3
SENATE BILL 5866
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2026 Regular Session
By Senators Torres, Christian, Dozier, and Gildon
Prefiled 12/10/25. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee on Human Services.
AN ACT Relating to increasing frontline staffing within the department of children, youth, and families; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that child protective services is understaffed, which is consistent with the findings of the child welfare workload study completed by the department of children, youth, and families. The legislature also finds that the department's program support is overstaffed in excess of 100 full-time equivalents relative to the program's base appropriation. Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to increase the number of social workers and related staff that provide direct services to receive, refer, and respond to screened-in reports of child abuse or neglect while also reducing the number of staff that do not provide direct client services.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) Within existing resources, the department of children, youth, and families shall increase child protective services staff that provide direct services, which may include social workers and related staff that provide services to receive, refer, and respond to screened-in reports of child abuse or neglect, by 100 full-time equivalents by the end of the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium. Staff may only include those provided for in RCW 43.88.058 (2).