OLYMPIA — The Washington State Senate today unanimously approved Senate Bill 5977, sponsored by Sen. Nikki Torres, 15th Legislative District. The legislation would require the public release of child near fatality review reports conducted by the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

The bill passed the Senate unanimously, 47–0 and now heads to the House of Representatives for further review.

“When a child nearly loses their life, the state has an obligation to be transparent about what happened and what we can learn from it,” Torres, R-Pasco, said. “These cases are critical warning signs, and we should be examining them openly so we can prevent future tragedies.”

Under SB 5977, DCYF would be required to issue a written report following a child near fatality review and publish that report on the same public webpage used for child fatality review reports. The bill would also establish a clear timeline, requiring reports to be completed within 180 days of the near fatality unless an extension is granted by the governor and distributed to the appropriate committees of the Legislature.

Current law requires child fatality review reports to be made public, but does not require consistent publication of near fatality reviews, even though those cases often involve children in critical or life-threatening condition and reveal the same systemic risks and failures.

“Near fatalities often show us where the system broke down before a child died,” Torres said. “By making these reviews public, we give lawmakers, agencies, and communities the information needed to strengthen policies, improve oversight, and better protect children.”

The legislation preserves existing confidentiality protections and does not change how review materials may be used in civil or administrative proceedings. Identifying and sensitive information would continue to be redacted in accordance with state and federal law.

SB 5977 would take effect 90 days after adjournment of the legislative session if approved by the Legislature and signed into law.

The 60-day 2026 legislative session began Monday, Jan. 12, and will conclude March 12.