Washington State’s Senate Bill 5599 authorizes shelters and host homes to withhold notice to parents when their children run away and seek “gender-affirming care.” This law allows state-funded facilities to effectively take custody of minors and potentially facilitate irreversible medical interventions, such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sterilization, without parental knowledge or consent. The law incentivizes children to flee from homes where parents may not affirm a new gender identity, stripping families of their right to be informed and involved in life-altering decisions.

On behalf of concerned parents and advocacy organizations, America First Legal filed a federal lawsuit against Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Attorney General Robert Ferguson, and Department of Children, Youth, and Families Secretary Ross Hunter. The suit challenges Senate Bill 5599 as a violation of parents’ procedural and substantive due process rights under the U.S. Constitution. The case is currently being litigated in federal court