Washington bill would expand donor protections, add strollers and car seats to covered baby items

Senate Bill 6,087, as presented to the Senate Law and Justice Committee, would expand existing liability protections for donated children’s items to include religious organizations and explicitly add strollers and car seats to the list of covered items.

Tim Ford, committee staff, said the substitute broadens the definition of “donor” and “distributing organization” to include religious organizations and preserves immunity from civil damages or criminal penalties except where a donor or distributor acts with gross negligence or intentional misconduct. "Children's items include but are not limited to clothes, diapers, food, baby formula, cribs, playpens, car seat restraints, toys, high chairs, and books," Ford told the committee.

John Braun, the bill's prime sponsor, said the change responds to constituent difficulty placing good-condition baby equipment and noted the benefits of reuse: “It reuses it, reduces waste, it adds options for folks at a lower cost,” he said. Braun described the substitute as simplifying the proposal and asked for committee support.

Molly DiNardo, policy advisor with the Washington State Board of Health, endorsed the bill’s injury-prevention goals but urged caution on implementation. She told the committee the board would need dedicated funding and more time than the current statutory deadline to complete required rulemaking, and she noted federal Consumer Product Safety Commission rules apply to resale but may not cover donated items distributed at no cost.

The committee did not take a vote in the hearing. Committee staff said no fiscal note was requested on the substitute; staff will follow up with the Board of Health with the text of the substitute that was heard.

The bill will move to further committee consideration if recommended by the sponsor and the chair.