Legislation to make members of the clergy mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect passed the Senate on a 44-5 vote today. The bill, SB 6298, is sponsored by Sen. Noel Frame (D-Seattle) and now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration. Frame is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse that occurred from the ages of 5 to 10 by a member of her own family, and the abuse ended only after she told a teacher who was a mandatory reporter. “Mandatory reporters play an essential role in protecting children. Just as teachers, doctors, and other trusted adults who work with children have the legal responsibility of being mandatory reporters of child abuse, members of the clergy have that same ...
Read MoreAbout Noel
Noel Frame (she/her) has represented the people of the 36th Legislative District as their state senator since January 2023, after having served the district as state representative beginning in January 2016.
Noel is an award-winning legislator, having been honored more than 15 times for her work advocating for youth involved in the foster care and juvenile justice systems, expanding services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and behavioral health challenges, championing economic development, and fixing the state’s upside-down tax code. She takes on many of the toughest challenges facing our state – reforming our criminal legal system, building more affordable housing, strengthening and investing in the diverse communities that make up Washington state, balancing our tax code, and more.
Read Sen. Frame’s full biography here.
