Why Vote NO on IL26-001 (I-001)?
While most parents are loving and supportive, IL26-001 will further endanger child abuse victims. This poorly written initiative actually weakens parents’ rights to know that their child has been the victim of a crime at school.
I-001 is opposed by parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, and law enforcement officers including the WA State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, WA State Nurses Association, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates and hundreds of others.
Vote NO On I-001 Is Endorsed By
Seattle Times: ‘No’ on Initiative 001
“Domestic violence experts say [I-001] could make it harder for a child to reach a safe adult. For that reason, we urge voters to turn it down.”
What does IL26-001 do?
Washington school counselors, school nurses, and pediatricians say I-001 restricts student access to help for challenges like depression, sexual assault, domestic violence, bullying, and anxiety. Parents have the right to know what’s going on with their kids at school. But while most parents are loving and supportive, the sad reality is not all kids are safe at home. Child abuse is more widespread than most realize: there were 117,629 reports of child abuse or neglect in Washington in 2024 alone.
1. I-001 removes common sense school record protections for victims of child abuse
I-001 will force schools to hand over sensitive information about child abuse victims to their parental abusers.
Legal analysis shows this poorly written initiative could allow parents under criminal investigation or who have been charged with raping, assaulting, or otherwise harming their own child to access sensitive information, including private social work and school counseling records, putting kids at greater risk.
I-001 “would have severely exacerbated my circumstances at home” - Gabriel Neuman, child abuse survivor.
2. I-001 weakens parental notification requirements if their child is the victim of a crime
If a student is the victim of a serious crime at school, parents should not have to wait to find out.
IL26 -001 ends Washington’s legal requirement that schools immediately notify parents when the crime is reported. I-001’s language says parental notification is only required when a crime has “been determined,” which legal experts say is a weaker standard and could delay parental notification by days, weeks, or even months.
Experts say that delayed notification only adds to the child’s trauma and can prevent a child from getting immediate help and support from loved ones and professionals.
“If a student is the victim of a serious crime at school, parents should not have to wait to find out and any delay could cause further harm to the student.” - former Snohomish County Sheriff John Lovick
3. I-001 worsens the teen mental health crisis
Washington school counselors, school nurses, and pediatricians say I-001 will worsen the teen mental health crisis.
Youth depression is at record highs. More than half of teenagers experience anxiety or depression, and one in ten Washington state students say they have no one to turn to when feeling depressed.
By removing common sense record protections, I-001 discourages students facing domestic violence, sexual abuse or bullying from seeking help from trusted school counselors, who would be required to release students’ confidential information.
4. I-001 forces school counselors and teachers to knowingly put LGBTQ+ students at risk of harm or homelessness
We should not force teachers and school counselors to knowingly put kids in danger – but that’s what I–001 would do by requiring them to “out” LGBTQ+ kids to abusive families.
We all want to keep kids safe and most parents know their children will come to them for help. But some kids live in homes that aren’t safe, and some LGBTQ+ kids know they will be kicked out of their homes, beaten, or worse.
According to researchers, 40% of LGBTQ+ homeless youth were kicked out of their home because of their identities.
Learn more about the impacts of I-001 on Washingtonians:
Frequently Asked Questions About I-001
IL26-001 (also known as I-001) is a measure on the November 2026 ballot. It would weaken Washington State laws about parents’ rights, student privacy and records at school.
How does IL26-001 weaken parents’ rights?
This measure will weaken parental notification requirements if their child is involved in a crime at school.
Today Washington State law says parents should be notified “immediately” but I-001 changes that to a more vague standard of “deemed to have been committed.”
This could delay parental notification that their child was a crime victim by hours, days, or even weeks, increasing the child’s trauma and delaying care.
Under I-001, the right to receive immediate notification when a child is alleged to be the victim, target, or recipient of physical or sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, or assault by a school employee or contractor would be removed, according to analysis by the WA State Attorney General.
How does IL26-001 hurt child abuse victims?
This measure removes commonsense school record protections for victims of child abuse.
Today Washington State law protects child abuse victims from further harm by preventing the release of certain school records to their parental abusers.
I-001 is so poorly written that it allows abusers under investigation or charged with a crime to access their victims’ private social work and school counseling records, putting children at greater risk of sexual abuse and violence at home.
While most parents are loving and supportive, the sad reality is not all kids are safe at home. Child abuse is more widespread than most realize: there were 117,629 reports of child abuse or neglect in Washington in 2024 alone.
How does IL26-001 worsen the teen mental health crisis?
I-001 discourages students facing mental health issues, domestic violence, sexual abuse or bullying from seeking help from trusted school counselors, who would be required to release students’ confidential information.
At a time when youth depression is at record highs and more than half of teenagers experience anxiety or depression, it makes no sense to change longstanding state laws in a way that could discourage struggling youth from seeking help.
114,000 of 633,000 (~20%) of Washington adolescents (grades 8-12) need clinical care for anxiety and depression according to the Children’s Alliance.
How does IL26-001 put LGBTQ+ kids at risk of abuse and homelessness?
I-001 forces schools, teachers, and school counselors to knowingly “out” LGBTQ+ students to abusive families, putting them at greater risk of harm.
LGBTQ+ youth face a 120% higher rate of homelessness than their non-LGBTQ+ peers and 40% of homeless LGBTQ+ youth were kicked out of their homes by unsupportive families.
About a third of homeless youth in King County in 2024 identified as LGBTQ+
56% of LGBTQ+ youth in WA ages 13-17 experienced bullying in 2024 alone.
Will IL26-001 cost taxpayers?
Initiative 001 creates a financial administrative burden on schools by reducing the timeframe by which schools must produce records for parents from the federally mandated 45 days to 10 days.
The current federal standard was implemented under the Reagan Administration and has remained in place under Republican and Democratic Administrations since.
Arbitrarily changing the timeline to 10 days would require cash-strapped schools to spend more resources on administration that should be going into the classroom and students.
Who opposes or supports IL26-001 and more
Who opposes IL26-001?
WA State PTA: I-001 is opposed by the WA State Parent Teacher Association, which says “Washington State PTA opposes IL26-001 because it recreates conflicts with state and federal law, especially regarding student privacy and the protection of students who are victims of abuse at home, risks reducing students’ access to mental and behavioral health support, narrows or removes existing safety protections, removes from a single accessible statute the consolidated rights that families rely on, and diverts school funding toward legal risk management.”
Seattle Times: The Seattle Times Editorial Board, after careful consideration, opposes I-001, writing “The question at the heart of the matter is student safety. Domestic violence experts say the initiative could make it harder for a child to reach a safe adult. For that reason, we urge voters to turn it down.”
Doctors: More than 100 family doctors and other medical professionals oppose I-001, saying “IL26-001 could force schools to notify parents of the school’s efforts to arrange medical care that a young person can legally access without parental consent under Washington state, possibly undermining youth access to critical health services.”
It is also opposed by the WA State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, League of Women Voters of WA, Washington State Nurses Association, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, Washington Education Association, League of Education Voters, Mom’s Rising, and hundreds of others.
Who is behind IL26-001?
This measure is bankrolled by a MAGA mega-donor, Brian Heywood, and his PAC Let’s Go Washington.
I heard IL26-001 would improve parent notification?
This is simply not true. Current law (RCW 28A.320.160) is clear that parents must be notified immediately if their child is the victim of a crime, not after 48 hours as some people claim.
I- 001 uses much vaguer language that parents should be notified if a crime has “deemed to have been committed” against a child, which could result in days, weeks, or even months before parents are informed.
What about parents’ rights to know that their child is seeking mental health or substance abuse counseling?
Washington State Law has, since 1985, allowed adolescents 13 years of age or older to seek mental health and substance abuse counseling without parental consent. They are allowed to have their records kept confidential. Initiative 001 potentially conflicts with these laws, at least for any counseling or social work sessions facilitated by the school.