January 12-16
The first week of the 2026 legislative session began with committee hearings on the Governor’s proposed supplemental budget, along with policy bills that were pre-filed ahead of session.
Bill activity
Partners for Our Children testified in support of several bills:
- SB 5911 to end the practice of withholding federal SSI benefits from youth in foster care. Scheduled for executive action in the Senate Human Services Committee on January 20.
- SB 5942 to clarify the responsibilities of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) Oversight Board and rename it the DCYF Accountability Board to more accurately reflect its role. Scheduled for executive action in the Senate Human Services Committee on January 20.
- HB 1544 to review and improve the risk assessment used when investigating alleged child abuse and neglect referrals. Scheduled for executive action in the House Early Learning and Human Services Committee on January 23.
- HB 2253 to make technical changes to licensing conducted through the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, including provisions that improve the licensing process for relatives to care for children. Scheduled for executive action in the House Early Learning and Human Services Committee on January 23.
We also support SB 5940 to provide housing vouchers for youth in Extended Foster Care. The bill received a hearing this week and is scheduled for executive action on January 20.
Addressing critical incidents in child welfare
Several bills have been introduced in response to the recent increase in critical incidents—maltreatment-related child fatalities or near fatalities among children involved in the child welfare system within the past 12 months.
HB 2497, sponsored by Rep. Ortiz-Self, reflects key priorities of Partners for Our Children to better meet the needs of families and children and save lives, including strategies to:
- Strengthen the role of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to serve families involved in child welfare.
- Expand family-centered residential Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment and access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD).
- Expand pre-filing representation models, which provide early intervention services to pregnant and parenting families so they can remain together and avoid child welfare involvement.
- Expand the Parent Child Assistance Program (PCAP) to deliver intensive case management and recovery support for pregnant and parenting individuals involved in child welfare due to substance use.
- Fund public health nurses for parents with children under age 3 with an open child welfare case who are impacted by SUD.
- Review court-involved pathways for child welfare cases that do not seek removal of a child.
Legislative committees will continue their work on policy bills until the first “cut-off” on February 4th. This deadline marks the last day for bills to be voted out of policy committees in the chamber where they were introduced.
Weekly bill tracker
The weekly P4C bill tracker highlights bills related to our priorities, particularly in child welfare. Please note that the inclusion of bills in the tracker does not reflect P4C’s position for or against the bill.
Other ways to stay informed
- TVW offers live and archived coverage of legislative committees and other events.
- The legislative website provides comprehensive information on bills, committee schedules, and contact information for legislators.