In our Week Two legislative update, we noted that significant changes were underway for bills addressing critical incidents in child welfare. Those changes have now taken shape.
The House and Senate policy committees had initially planned to hear HB 2497 and SB 6185—companion bills with multiple provisions aimed at strengthening family stability and child safety. Those bills have since been withdrawn and replaced with new, narrower companion legislation: HB 2660 and SB 5308.
Unlike the previous bills, the new bills focus on a single provision. They would allow courts to order parents of children under age five to comply with specific conditions to help ensure children can remain safely in their homes.
HB 2660 will be heard on Tuesday January 27th at 1:30pm in the House Early Learning and Human Services Committee.
SB 6083 will be heard on Wednesday January 28th at 8:00am in the Senate Human Services Committee.
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.