Washington Require Judges to Report Suspected Child Abuse Initiative (2021)
| Require Judges to Report Suspected Child Abuse Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 2, 2021 | |
| Topic Law enforcement and State judiciary | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
The Washington Require Judges to Report Suspected Child Abuse Initiative was not on the ballot in Washington as an Initiative to the People, a type of initiated state statute, on November 2, 2021.
This initiative would have required state judges to report suspected child abuse if they witness or receive reports alleging child abuse.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for this initiative would have been as follows:[1]
| “ |
Initiative Measure No. 1798 concerns judicial reporting of child abuse or neglect. This measure would require that judges report to law enforcement or the appropriate state agency if, while presiding over a legal proceeding, they witness or receive credible information alleging child abuse or neglect. Should this measure be enacted into law? Yes [ ] No [ ] [2] |
” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary for this initiative would have been as follows:[1]
| “ |
This measure would require that a judge report suspected child abuse or neglect to law enforcement or the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. This requirement would apply only if the judge is presiding over a legal proceeding and either witnesses child abuse or neglect or receives a credible written or oral report alleging child abuse, including sexual contact, or neglect of a child. [2] |
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Full text
The full text may be found here.
Path to the ballot
The state process
In Washington, the number of signatures required to qualify a directly initiated state statute—called an Initiative to the People in Washington—for the ballot is equal to 8 percent of the votes cast for the office of governor at the last regular gubernatorial election. Initial filings for direct initiatives cannot be made more than 10 months before the general election at which their proposal would be presented to voters. Signatures must be submitted at least four months prior to the general election.
The requirements to get an Initiative to the People certified for the 2021 ballot:
- Signatures: 324,516 valid signatures were required.
- Deadline: The deadline to submit signatures was July 2, 2021.
The secretary of state verifies the signatures using a random sample method. If the sample indicates that the measure has sufficient signatures, the measure is certified for the ballot. However, if the sample indicates that the measure has insufficient signatures, every signature is checked. Under Washington law, a random sample result may not invalidate a petition.
Details about this initiative
- Albert Coburn filed the initiative on January 12, 2021.[1]
- No signatures were submitted by the deadline on July 2, 2021.[1]
See also
External links
Footnotes
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State of Washington Olympia (capital) |
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