Washington Bill Could Limit Court Access for Foster Care Abuse Victims

Advocates say the proposed legislation would create an extra hurdle for survivors seeking justice.

Feb. 23, 2026 at 11:26pm

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A new bill working its way through the Washington state legislature would add a mandatory administrative hearing before survivors of child abuse in foster care could take their cases to trial. Advocates argue this would deter survivors from coming forward, protect the state agency from accountability, and increase costs for the state.

Why it matters

For decades, the Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families has been accused of failing to properly monitor children in its care or respond to warning signs of abuse. This bill could make it even harder for survivors to seek justice and expose systemic failures within the agency.

The details

The bill would require survivors to go through a closed-door administrative hearing before being allowed to take their cases to trial. Advocates say this added step would be more expensive for the state and would further traumatize survivors who are already reluctant to share their stories publicly.

  • The bill has passed in the state Senate and is now in the House.

The players

Alex Dietz

An attorney representing people who suffered sexual abuse as children in state custody like foster care.

Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families

The state agency that has been accused of failing to properly monitor children in its care and respond to warning signs of abuse.

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What they’re saying

“The idea that this is somehow fiscally responsible is ludicrous. This is not a fiscally responsible bill. It's going to increase costs for the state. It's going to harm survivors. It's going to reduce public accountability. There is no benefit to this bill.”

— Alex Dietz, Attorney

“To tell these people who the state has harmed already, 'You have to do this an extra time, behind closed doors privately, before we'll even let you tell your story to the public,' greatly increases the risk of re-traumatization.”

— Alex Dietz, Attorney

“We need to incentivize them to take action to protect children instead of what this bill does, which is incentivize them to hide the failures.”

— Alex Dietz, Attorney

What’s next

The bill is currently in the Washington state House after passing the Senate.

The takeaway

This proposed legislation could create additional barriers for survivors of child abuse in the foster care system to seek justice and accountability, further protecting the state agency responsible from public scrutiny over its failures to protect vulnerable children.