Evaluation of Washington State's Senate Bill 5599 Concerning Runaway Transgender Youth

Abstract

This paper utilizes a recognized policy analysis framework (Kraft & Furlong, 2018) to evaluate the objective effectiveness, efficiency, equitability, and ethical nature of Washington State’s 2023 Senate Bill 5599 (SB 5599, 2023) within contemporary social, political, cultural, and geographic contexts. SB 5599 was signed into law by Governor Inslee on May 9^th, 2023, and became effective July 23rd, 2023. The bill established an exception to the reporting requirements the state and its agencies must follow when accepting runaway youth into shelters. The exception established is that the state is no longer required to report to parents that it has accepted their children if the child is seeking or undergoing gender affirming care. This law raises questions as to when it is acceptable for the state to intervene between parent and child, what rights apply to children who are not yet rationally capable or informed, and to what extent rights should be applied positively or negatively in certain contexts. This paper will illuminate the contextual ambiguity of effectiveness, efficiency, equitability, and ethics related to SB 5599, while also identifying the ways in which SB 5599 should be changed to conform to these criteria within Washington State’s social contexts and the policy framework. Key suggested changes to SB 5599 include establishing age criteria, clear identification of intent regarding protected health services, and seeking a vote of the people.