Bill Gives Parents More Control Over Their Runaway Children

A measure to give parents and authorities more control to deal with runaway children won passage in the Senate Wednesday.

Senate Bill 5439, sponsored by Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, passed 42-7. It now goes to the House.

“The current law gives kids all the rights. This bill says that parents have the rights to help their kids,” Hargrove said.

“This bill gives families the tools to fix some of their problems,” said Sen. Ann Anderson, R-Acme.

However, foes of the bill said making running away a criminal behavior does not work.

“If we pass this bill, we will criminalize runaways,” Sen. Dwight Pelz, D-Seattle said.

Still others said some children who run away do so to escape family problems, including physical abuse.

The bill would:

Make crisis residential facilities secure so that kids brought there by police could not run away.

Make runaway children who are taken into custody spend at least three days “cooling off” in the crisis residential centers.

Let parents commit their child, up to age 18, to a substance abuse or mental health facility without the child’s consent.

Not place crisis residential centers near jails or prisons unless it is the only practical location.

Impose a fine of up to $10,000 against a school district that does not carry out attendance laws.

Under current law, when a minor runs away from home, police can pick up the child and return the child to the parent’s home, or take the child to a crisis residential center or responsible adult. If a minor is afraid to go home, the child can be taken to the nearest crisis residential center, if one is available. But the centers have little authority to hold the child. In addition, there are very few crisis residential centers open in Washington.

A similar bill, HB1187, passed the House last week. That measure, named the “Becca Bill” for 13-year-old Rebecca Hedman, who was murdered by a transient in Spokane after she ran away, has a provision to lock up minors for six months if they run away from home three times in a 12-month period.