The legislature recognizes an inherent privacy interest that a child has with respect to the child’s recorded voice and image when describing the highly sensitive details of abuse or neglect upon the child as defined in RCW 26.44.020. The legislature further finds that reasonable restrictions on the dissemination of these recordings can accommodate both privacy interests and due process. To that end, the legislature intends to exempt these recordings from dissemination under the public records act and provide additional sanction authority for violations of protective orders that set forth such terms and conditions as are necessary to protect the privacy of the child.

Effective date—2018 c 171: “Except for section 3 of this act, this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately [March 22, 2018].” [ 2018 c 171 § 11.]