WashingtonWashington limits legal responsibility for donations of children's items
Donors and covered groups have legal protection for donated children's items, except for serious carelessness or intentional wrongdoing, and groups giving away car seats must check their safety.
What it does
Donors and covered groups are protected from lawsuits seeking damages and criminal penalties tied to donated items' nature, age, condition, or packaging. Serious carelessness and intentional wrongdoing are exceptions.
Covered groups must ask about car seats' history and warn that safety is not guaranteed. They must check expiration and recalls and cannot give away expired or recalled seats.
Argument forProtection from legal claims could encourage people and charities to donate and distribute children's items to families in need.
Argument againstFamilies harmed by an item's condition could struggle to recover compensation because donors and distributing groups are protected unless they act seriously carelessly or intentionally.
More detail
Donors and covered distributing groups have protection from paying damages in lawsuits and facing criminal penalties tied to donated children's items. Covered groups give children's items away free. They include charitable nonprofits and public health agencies working with charitable nonprofits or religious groups. Donors include people and organizations that give items, repair or update donated items, or provide storage or distribution space. The protection covers harm tied to an item's nature, age, condition, or packaging. It does not apply when a donor or distributing group acts with gross negligence, meaning serious carelessness, or intentional wrongdoing. The law took effect on June 11, 2026.
Covered groups accepting and distributing car seats must ask about their history, attach a safety warning, and check for expiration and recalls. These duties cover groups that give children's items away free, including charitable nonprofits and public health agencies working with charitable nonprofits or religious groups. Each seat must carry a warning saying the group does not know its history and therefore cannot guarantee its safety. Groups must confirm that seats are not expired or recalled. They cannot distribute or donate expired or recalled seats. The law took effect on June 11, 2026.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 14Effective date 6/11/2026.Latest
- Mar 14Chapter 47, 2026 Laws.Major
- Mar 14Governor Bob Ferguson signed.Became Law
- Mar 10Delivered to Governor.To Governor
- Mar 5Speaker signed.Passed House
- Mar 4President signed.Passed Senate
- Mar 3Third reading, passed; yeas, 93; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 5.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#5). Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 3Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Mar 2Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.Minor
- Feb 25Referred to Rules 2 Review.Minor
- Feb 25CRJ - Majority; do pass.Minor
- Feb 25Executive action taken in the House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary at 8:00 AM.
- Feb 20Public hearing in the House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary at 10:30 AM.
- Feb 14First reading, referred to Civil Rights & Judiciary.Minor
- Feb 11Third reading, passed; yeas, 49; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 0.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#42). Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 11Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Feb 11Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- Feb 111st substitute bill substituted (LAW 26).Major
- Feb 4Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.Minor
- Jan 30Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- Jan 29LAW - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.Major
- Jan 29Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice at 10:30 AM.
- Jan 26Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice at 10:30 AM.
- Jan 13First reading, referred to Law & Justice.Introduced
Consumer ProtectionPublic Safety