News Releases

OLYMPIA – Survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault will gain crucial protections and supports, and abusers will be held more accountable, if four bills passed unanimously by the Senate become law. SB 5180, passed today, would make it easier for survivors to wipe off their record sentences they received for offenses that were the result of being a victim ...

Health care providers and state officials would be able to respond more quickly and effectively during a pandemic, pending full legislative passage of four bills passed today by the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee. “Swift action by public and private entities across our state helped us address the pandemic better than most states, but we can improve on that ...

When the 2021 legislative session begins on Jan. 11, Sen. Annette Cleveland (D-Vancouver) will gain a seat on the Senate Housing & Local Government Committee. “When it comes to people’s most fundamental needs, I have always prioritized health, housing, employment and education,” Cleveland said. “I have served on the health care committee since my election the Senate in 2013, and have ...

Legislation passed unanimously today by the House will align state laws with federal laws governing the reporting of child abuse, ensuring consistency and extending the state’s eligibility for millions of dollars in federal aid. “If someone believes a child is being abused, we want them to report it — not keep quiet for fear of penalty for a mistaken report,” said ...

OLYMPIA — As more cases of coronavirus are being confirmed in Washington state, including the nation’s first known fatalities, the state Senate is passing directives and funding for a full response from public health organizations. “This is the news we haven’t wanted to hear but had to prepare for,” said Sen. Annette Cleveland (D-Vancouver), chair of the Senate Health Committee. “The ...

Sen. Annette Cleveland (D-Vancouver) released this statement today following Senate passage of House Bill 1687, a measure that prohibits defendants from using a victim’s gender identity or sexual orientation to justify violent assaults—a justification sometimes known as the “panic defense.” Because the bill had earlier passed the House, it can now be signed into law by the governor. “This bill ...

Legislation passed today by the Senate would direct state agencies to work with in-home care providers to develop protocols to protect long-term caregivers from harassment, abuse and discrimination. “Sadly, it took the tragic shootings of a caregiver and a patient and a resident last year to bring attention to this need, but the truth is that caregivers have been facing harassment ...

Legislation passed today by the Senate would provide a web-based system to improve the reporting of, and response to, cases of child abuse and neglect. “This will correct a breakdown in our system for reporting child abuse,” Sen. Annette Cleveland (D-Vancouver) said. “While the state has a system in place to make sure these incidents are reported, backed-up phone lines during ...

The state would provide a web-based system to improve the reporting of, and response to, cases of child abuse and neglect, under legislation passed today by the Senate Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation Committee. “With the state’s current limited resources, callers have been left on hold for up to an hour at a time, with alarming frequency,” Sen. Annette Cleveland (D-Vancouver) ...

Sixteen Washington and Oregon state legislators will meet Friday in Vancouver to begin a bistate effort to build a new I-5 bridge. This marks the first formal meeting of the full committee. The committee met informally last December, with Oregon members joining as guests prior to official endorsement of members by Oregon legislative leaders. “Legislators in Southwest Washington have been working to ...