Democratic Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a bill May 2 forcing Catholic priests to break their seal of confession in cases of alleged child abuse.
The bill, introduced in the state senate in January, requires clergymen to be added to the state’s list of mandatory reporters in cases of suspected abuse or neglect of a child, even if the information is discovered during a confessional. “Except for members of the clergy, no one shall be required to report under this section when he or she obtains the information solely as a result of a privileged communication as provided in RCW 5.60.060,” the legislation read.
Ferguson, who is Catholic, signed the bill into law and told reporters he felt it was “pretty straightforward,” KXYL.com reported.
