A significant change in Washington’s child protection laws was realized on May 2, 2025, when Governor Bob Ferguson signed legislation making clergy mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect.
In a move that aims to enhance the safety of children, Governor Ferguson emphasized the importance of prioritizing child protection over other considerations, especially when it comes to the safety and well-being of Washington’s youth.
“Protecting our kids, first, is the most important thing. This bill protects Washingtonians from abuse and harm,” Ferguson stated during the bill signing event in Olympia.
Senator Noel Frame, a Democrat from Seattle, took three years to bring the bill to fruition.
Crucially, the bill ensures that disclosures made during confidential conversations, such as confession, are not exempt from reporting requirements, according to Frame.
“You never put somebody’s conscience above the protection of a child,” she remarked, highlighting the bill’s intent.
Senate Bill 5375 garnered substantial bipartisan support, passing in the House with a vote of 64-31 and in the Senate with a margin of 28-20.
The law is set to take effect on July 27, 2025.
Under the new regulations, clergy members are added to the state’s list of individuals legally obliged to report suspected child abuse to law enforcement or the Department of Children, Youth and Families.
With this measure, clergy will join the ranks of other mandatory reporters, including school personnel, nurses, social service counselors, and psychologists, who are all required to report when they have reasonable cause to believe a child has suffered abuse or neglect.
The legislation defines a “member of the clergy” as any regularly licensed, accredited, or ordained minister, priest, rabbi, imam, elder, or similarly positioned religious or spiritual leader.
While ensuring that disclosures made in confession or other religious rites are not exempt, the law permits clergy to retain their privilege to refrain from testifying in related court cases or criminal proceedings.
More than half of U.S. states have already established laws making clergy mandatory reporters, with many providing exemptions for confessional conversations.
By eliminating the confessional privilege from this law, Washington joins a select group of states, including New Hampshire and West Virginia, where such conversations are also not exempt.
Mary Dispenza, a founding member of the Catholic Accountability Project, expressed her support for the law.
“It says the church is not above the law, especially when it comes to protecting children,” she declared, affirming her belief that the passing of this law will lead to a safer environment for children.
The removal of the confessional exemption was one of the most contentious aspects debated during the legislative process.
This provision became a primary concern for the Washington State Catholic Conference, which opposed the legislation, maintaining that it would compel priests to breach the sacred promise of confidentiality associated with confession.
Many Republican lawmakers also expressed their opposition to including the confessional aspect in the bill, arguing that the requirement could deter abusers from seeking guidance and confessing their actions.
Governor Ferguson, however, voiced his strong support for the legislation without hesitation.
As a Catholic with personal experience in confession, he firmly believed in the necessity of protecting children above all else.
Senator Frame’s advocacy for the legislation was fueled by a lawsuit alleging a Spokane congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses covered up abuse incidents involving children.
The bill’s momentum was bolstered as survivors from both Catholic and Jehovah’s Witness communities shared their experiences with lawmakers, advocating for the inclusion of confessions in the reporting requirement.
Marino Hardin, a Seattle resident and advocate for abuse victims, also highlighted the law’s significance, stating, “This is going to protect children in other religious communities, especially Jehovah’s Witnesses.
I believe that a lot more children will not fall through the cracks.”
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