Washington Senate passes bill to protect transgender youth in shelters who report parental abuse or neglect

How they voted The Senate gave final approval to SB 5599 on a vote of 29-22. Among Spokane-area legislators, Democrat Andy Billig voted yes; Republicans Jeff Holy and Mike Padden, Mark Schoesler, Shelly Short voted no. The House approved it last week on a vote of 57-39. Among Spokane-area legislators, Democrats Andy Billig and Marcus Riccelli voted yes; Republicans Leonard Christian, Mary Dye, Virginia Graham, Joel Kretz, Jacquelin Maycumber, Joe Schmick, Suzanne Schmidt and Mike Volz voted no.

OLYMPIA – Parents of a runaway youth seeking gender-affirming treatment or reproductive health care would not have to be notified of the whereabouts of their minor child who is in a homeless shelter under a bill heading to Gov. Jay Inslee for final approval.

The Washington Senate passed a bill that requires instead the shelter must notify the state Department of Children, Youth and Families in one to three days that the youth is in a shelter. A monthly update is also required if the youth remains there.

The department would offer to refer the youth to mental health services and offer the family conflict resolution services that could bring them back together. If child abuse or neglect is part of the reason the youth ran away or is homeless, the department would be required to notify law enforcement.

Sen. Marko Liias, the bill’s prime sponsor, said it is strictly about providing housing and emergency shelter to at-risk youth. It does not give the department or any other state agency new authority to help runaway or homeless minors obtain the medical treatment they may be seeking without parental approval, he said.

“It doesn’t change anything about who can authorize health care or the age of consent,” said Liias, D-Everett. “The bill is really just about emergency shelter.”

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, said the state should do more to reconnect families.

“We all can agree that we want a safe place for all citizens across the state of Washington, especially children … that are going through these issues,” he said.

Under current law, parents are notified in most instances if a homeless or runaway youth stays at a shelter for more than three days, he said.

Under the bill, a youth shelter would be required to notify the state agency that they are housing a minor seeking what the proposal refers to as “protected health care services.” The agency is already required to notify law enforcement if a minor seeking shelter reports being a victim of child abuse or neglect.

During hearings on the bill, some critics said it would result in the state coming between parents and their children, legalize the state “kidnapping minors” and turning them over to people who support the “gender-affirming industry.”

Liias said he expected the legislation to be somewhat controversial because bills involving LGBTQ rights usually are. But he didn’t expect it to become caught up in what some political observers contend is an effort by conservatives to make trans-youth issues a new frontline in the battle over social issues.

A recent report in the Washington Post said a record number of state laws affecting transgender rights have been introduced and passed around the country this year. Those include bans on transgender youth and young adults competing in high school or college sports in a gender different than at their birth, not allowing transgender youth to change the gender on identification cards or birth certificates, and allowing transgender adults up to 15 years to file malpractice suits against doctors who performed surgery on them as youths.

“This bill is really just about emergency shelter,” Liias said. “If a youth shows up at a shelter, they can stay for more than three days without parental notification.”