OLYMPIA – Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson has signed two bills into law sponsored by Rep. Roger Goodman (D-Kirkland).
Addressing child exposure to violence
House Bill 1028 expands supports for children who are victims of crime to include children who are witnesses to crimes or violent events. It does this by clarifying child advocacy centers can serve children exposed to violence, and updates definitions related to child forensic interviews to reflect current best practices.
“Research shows even just witnessing a violent event can have long term, damaging effects on a child’s life if not addressed quickly and appropriately,” said Goodman. “This is a good policy that ensures we are intervening and providing the necessary supports to care for and protect our most vulnerable residents, our kids, when tragedy strikes.”
House Bill 1028 passed out of both chambers near-unanimously. It takes effect 90 days after the session ends.
Expanding enforcement options for fish and wildlife
House Bill 1325 makes better use of the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (DFW) enforcement resources by reducing some criminal charges and adding certain penalties. Under this bill, several criminal charges are changed to natural resource infractions, and penalties are added including penalties for driving over habitat restoration projects and building rock dams which can disrupt fish movement and impede hydraulic flow.
“DFW was seeing conviction rates below 20 percent and dismissal rates above 60 percent, largely due to workload. That means the crimes being charged were more likely to be dismissed than tried, expending significant time and resources without the desired effect,” said Goodman. “This bill continues to build on our work to ensure the crimes being charged are taken seriously by allowing more ways to hold people accountable for violations while protecting the fish and wildlife we in Washington hold dear.”
This bill passed both chambers unanimously. It takes effect 90 days after the session ends.
The 2025 legislative session is scheduled to end on April 27, 2025.