Authorizing the court to order certain conditions during child welfare shelter care hearings.

 S-4727.1

SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6308

State of Washington

69th Legislature

2026 Regular Session

By Senate Human Services (originally sponsored by Senators C. Wilson, Nobles, and Saldaña)

READ FIRST TIME 02/04/26.

AN ACT Relating to authorizing the court to order certain conditions during child welfare shelter care hearings to maintain the safety of children under age five who are placed in the care, custody, or control of a parent, guardian, or legal custodian; amending RCW 13.34.065 and 13.34.110 ; and creating new sections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that critical incidents, maltreatment-related child fatalities or near fatalities involving families with an open child welfare case within one year of the incident, increased by 70 percent from 2021 to 2024. In the first quarter of 2025, there were 22 critical incidents compared to nine critical incidents in the first quarter of 2024.

(2) The legislature intends to address the concerning rise in critical incidents by increasing court oversight of child welfare cases during the shelter care phase for children under age five.