Overview

• U.S. District Judge David Estudillo barred enforcement of SB 5375 as applied to information revealed in Catholic sacramental confession under a preliminary injunction.
• Enacted May 2, SB 5375 removes the longstanding carve-out for clergy from Washington’s mandatory child-abuse reporting law and imposes penalties of up to 364 days in jail or a $5,000 fine for noncompliance.
• Plaintiffs led by Archbishop Paul D. Etienne argue the statute constitutes religious discrimination by forcing priests to choose between canon law’s seal of confession and state criminal penalties.
• The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division joined the legal battle on June 23, framing SB 5375 as an unconstitutional burden on the free exercise of religion.
• With the law scheduled to take effect on July 27, both the Catholic Church’s lawsuit and the DOJ’s suit remain pending as stakeholders brace for a final ruling.